Homeland Scandal
by PriscillaPal
Summary: After a series of unimaginable events, Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody becomes President Nicholas Brody. David Estes, Saul and Quinn realize too late that Carrie was right. She is re-instated and asked to renew her affair with Brody, for the sole purpose of bringing Abu Nazir, Tom Walker and the new president himself, down. But can Carrie do this without self destructing?
1. Chapter 1

In this alternate universe story, the suicide tape that Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody made, that was supposed to be revealed to the world, once he blew up Vice President William Walden with the explosive vest, is found much later. Later being, after Brody is picked by Walden to be his VP when he runs for president.

Brody's wife, Jessica, is thrilled, though her her affair with Brody's former best friend, U.S. Marine Mike Faber, is made public. But the voters don't care. Brody and Jessica have a JFK and Jackie vibe that the public loves. And before they know it, Nicholas Brody is sworn in as Vice-President of the United States.

But there is trouble on the horizon. Tom Walker is revealed to be alive and is lurking about along with Abu Nazir. Abu has Nicholas's recording and wants a show of faith that Brody is still willing to follow Nazir's path, in killing President Walden for ordering the drone strike that killed his young son, Issa.

Brody is not willing to do so, but when Nazir threatens the lives of his family, Brody agrees to get the model number of the pacemaker President Walden wears, so that Nazir can cause it to malfunction, thus killing President Walden. Brody does as he's ordered and keeps the president from calling for help, as he slumps to the floor and dies.

Vice President Brody then becomes President Brody.

While this was going on back in the states, Saul and Carrie recover Brody's taped confession over on a mission in Beirut. David Estes, who is now Chief of the CIA, is beyond appalled and realizes that how they proceed, has to be done with great care and cunning because the sitting president is a terrorist with access to the nuke codes...among other things.

Carrie, who is still recovering from the mess her life descended in to, once her illness and her affair with Brody were discovered, is now asked to renew her relationship with him while David, Saul Berenson and Peter Quinn, try to find a way to quietly bring down Tom Walker, Abu Nazir and the current president...

* * *

David Estes knew what he was asking of Carrie Mathison, was more than a favor. And he was fully willing to reinstate her into the CIA if she went along with their plans.

Saul Berenson didn't like the 'plans' worth a goddamn! But they needed eyes and ears in that White House. He couldn't believe they had been so wrong. And he couldn't believe that a Marine turned terrorist was now sitting in the oval office.

Carrie had seen what Brody was from the very beginning. But Abu Nazir had trained his guy well. They just saw no signs that Brody had been turned. And legally, Carrie's gut feeling about the man had not been enough to go on.

Saul looked over at Carrie, who was dressed in a dark blue suit. Her hair cascaded well past her shoulders and appearance wise, she was nothing like the fragile, shell of a woman that had went through electric shock some time ago. She looked like she used to look-that being a woman who was about the business of catching terrorists.

Peter Quinn's role in this thing was even less secure. David had arranged for Quinn to be on Brody's Secret Service detail. Saul suspected that there was more to David's placing him there than just that, but he couldn't worry about it now. It was Carrie that they needed to play her part. And as far as Saul was concerned, it was an ugly part indeed.

David sensed Saul's deep disapproval but ignored him. He was used to it. They were meeting in his office over at Langley.

"Carrie, are you willing to do this?" he asked quietly. Carrie exhaled and nodded.

"I am. And I can do this without getting emotionally involved. That was my mistake last time."

"The mistake was not listening to you the first time," Quinn said, "because I'm not buying how Brody just fell into his current job."

David eyed Quinn.

"Neither am I. But we can't prove anything right now. I just want to know how often Brody is contacted by Nazir. Hopefully there will be a meet up where we can kill this sonofabitch, once and for all." David huffed.

Carrie who had been sitting, stood up.

"There is also Jessica Brody to consider. She knew what was going on between Brody and myself. If she sees me wandering around there, she could end this whole thing."

"Not if Brody wants you to stay." Quinn told her matter-of-factly.

"We're not going to know if any of this is possible until you suggest to the president, that Carrie be his Terrorism Advisor." Saul said to David.

"I know. I have to sell this as well as Carrie does." David admitted. "We might as well get started. Are you ready?" he asked, looking at Carrie.

"After you." Carrie said sardonically.

* * *

President Nicholas Brody was sitting at his desk in the Oval Office, half listening as his Vice President, an older and no nonsense former senator by the name of Andrew Lockhart, was advising him on which senators needed to be 'wooed' in order to get a bill through. A bill that would not only reinstate the draft, but it would also make it mandatory for women to register with selective service when they turned 18 years of age.

Brody didn't really like it. And it had nothing to do with his being sexist. He just couldn't stop thinking of his daughter, Dana. The idea of her being in some foreign land and possibly held prisoner like he was, made him sick. And secretly, Brody had already decided that if that bill came across his desk, he was going to veto it.

Vice President Lockhart was no fool. He could sense the president's hesitation but he had also been picked because he was seen as having 'gravitas'. He could mentor the new weak and inexperienced president.

"Mr. President," Vice President Lockhart said, "you know better than anyone that there are already women serving in our military. And it would only be up to the age of thirty-five..."

Brody's secretary interrupted him by intercom.

"Mr. President, CIA Chief David Estes is here for your meeting."

Brody was glad to be ending **THIS** meeting! He stood up and looked at Lockhart.

"Let's continue this another time, okay?"

"Mr. President, with all due respect, time is running out on this one. We have to show a strong signal of support..."

"I don't support this bill. I'm sorry. And I'm not signing it if it comes across this desk."

Vice President Lockhart wisely said nothing. He would speak to the First Lady and some of the president's former Marine friends about this. Maybe they could get him to change his mind.

"Thank you, Mr. President." Vice President Lockhart said, as he walked to the door. He opened it to David Estes and a young woman that looked vaguely familiar, but he could not recall her name...

"Carrie?" Brody asked, looking her up and down. The Vice President nodded to himself. Yes, Carrie Mathison. She was a CIA analyst and was involved in something that went wrong over in the Middle East, some time ago. Why would David bring her here?

"Mr. Vice President." David said, shaking his hand. Carrie just nodded. She didn't like Andrew Lockhart. He had always seemed to have it in for the CIA. The idea of his possibly becoming president frightened her more than Brody's sitting in this oval office!

Once the vice-president left, Brody walked over to them.

"David," Brody said, his eyes on Carrie, "I thought just the two of us were meeting? You were going to give me an update on the hunt for Abu Nazir."

I'm sure you know where he is, Carrie thought. But now was the time for play acting and pretend forgiveness.

"Actually, Mr. President, Carrie was instrumental in recovering some intel that could help us identify some of Nazir's contacts here in the states. I have reinstated her and I am strongly suggesting that you keep her close. She will be the one advising you on how to deal with Nazir and other enemies of this country. I know this might be uncomfortable so if you have a problem with..."

"No," Brody said quickly, "I have no problem with Ms. Mathison. I have no doubt she's good at this."

David was grinning on the inside! This sonofabitch wasn't even looking at him when they spoke! He couldn't take his eyes off of Carrie. He felt a twinge of guilt. He had no doubt that fending this man off would not be an easy task for her.

Then again, the point was for Carrie **NOT** to fend him off. But could she do that and not end up in a mental institution again?

Carrie stepped forward.

"Mr. President, the past is the past. Abu Nazir is the present. I don't know how the First Lady will feel about my being here..."

"She'll understand that this is about business." Brody told her, then looked at David.

"Should we get started?" he asked him. David looked at Carrie, then at Brody.

"I'm leaving you in her capable hands." David said before turning and exiting the office. Carrie looked around briefly before sitting down. Brody did as well. He sat very close to her.

"I thought we could start with a report of Nazir's last known sighting." Carrie began. "Now this intel is from a former mistress and it is debatable whether the information is good..."

Brody reached out to twirl a tendril of Carrie's hair around his finger.

"You look good, Carrie. You're better now?" he asked, her hair in his hand.

"Well thank you, Mr. President," Carrie said, reaching up and removing his hand from her hair, "I am much better. No thanks to you. You're the one that told me to get help and I did."

Brody just stared at her and Carrie couldn't quite figure out if he could see through her, or if it was something else?

"Mr. President? Was there something you wanted to say?" she asked. Brody reached for her hands and intertwined them with his own.

"I don't know what I'm doing here."

"Come on, Mr. President. Take a deep breath. You're doing fine." Carrie said in a soothing tone that came from somewhere deep inside of her. She told herself that the point of this whole thing was for Brody **NOT** to even stay in office. So whether or not he was successful was of little importance to her. And yet, there was something in his voice that made her feel some concern for him.

"No, I don't! The Vice-President wants me to sign some bill that would let women be drafted! I can't do anything like that!"

Carrie almost burst out laughing! That was until she could see he was dead serious.

"Mr. President, women are perfectly capable of serving alongside of men. Even in combat."

"I don't think Dana could."

"I disagree. I've met your daughter. I think Al Qaida would be in trouble. Look, why don't I come back tomorrow so we can go over what we need to. You seem to have a lot on your mind." Carrie said, standing up. She would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that his nearness was also affecting her.

Brody stood up as well. He reached out and touched her shoulders.

"Tell me that you don't believe I'm one of the bad guys anymore?"

Carrie pretended to look surprised.

"Mr. President, I wouldn't be here if I still thought you were one of the bad guys, okay? I should go." she said. She didn't like where this was going. Brody seemed suspicious of her. She needed to be alone and re-think her next meeting with him.

But Brody still had ahold of her shoulders.

"Look me in the eye, Carrie, and tell me that you don't think Abu Nazir turned me. Tell me you don't still think I would betray my country?"

"Mr. President..." Carrie began.

"Brody." he corrected her.

"Mr. President is more appropriate," Carrie said, lifting his hands off of her shoulders, "and I was not well back then. I didn't know what I was saying."

"So when we were at your cabin, before things fell apart, you didn't know what you were saying then as well?" Brody asked, his tone almost challenging.

Carrie reached for one of his hands and clasped it.

"I remember our time together. There was nothing phony about that. That time was not about my work. But I was without my medication. And I really can't even go a day without it."

Carrie could see that there was something she was saying that Brody did not believe. But she couldn't tell which part of her story it was. His intercom buzzed and the secretary announced that Roya Hammad was waiting to see him. Carrie raised a brow.

"You're doing an interview with CNB?" Carrie asked Brody.

"Do you know Roya?" Brody asked, not directly answering her question.

"I've met her once or twice. What does she want to talk to you about?" Carrie asked, feeling something about this what out of place. Mainly, that Brody's Chief of Staff would've allowed such an interview to take place without some policy advisor being present.

Brody sat on the edge of his desk.

"Why don't you stick around and find out?" Brody suggested. Carrie didn't answer that, as the door opened and Roya Hammad walked in. She spied Carrie and clearly looked surprised to see her.

"Carrie Mathison. Hello." Roya said, looking from Carrie to Brody. Brody stood up straight and walked over to them.

"Roya, Carrie has been named the new Terrorism Advisor to the White House. She was just bringing me up to speed. I was thinking though, maybe you should direct your questions to her." Brody told her.

Roya gave him a look that Carrie would've been blind to miss. Roya did not want to ask Carrie shit! Carrie folded her arms. She suspected Roya had planned to use Brody's inexperience to get him to let something slip that he shouldn't.

"Ms. Hammad. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have." Carrie said. She gestured towards the couch but Roya did not move.

"I was under the impression that I would be interviewing the President alone." Roya said. Carrie looked over at Brody, then at Roya.

"The president will be in the room as well. Come. Sit." Carrie said, sitting down on the couch. Roya gritted her teeth! She didn't know what Nicholas Brody was up to here, but there were plans that needed to be discussed! Plans that Abu Nazir had for the sitting president of this country that he now had under his thumb.

But Roya knew that Carrie was already suspicious of her reluctance. Roya tossed some hair and walked over to the couch to sit down. She took out a small pad and began to speak.

"I was hoping to get confirmation about rumors I've been hearing..." Roya began.

But Carrie cut her off.

"The White House doesn't comment on rumors. Was there anything else?" Carrie asked politely.

" **THIS** rumor involves the mistress of wanted terrorist Abu Nazir. "

"He's had many mistresses that I've known of. Can you tell me which one you're referring to?" Carrie asked.

"I was hoping you could do that. Apparently this woman knows something about his whereabouts and has possibly reached out to the CIA with that information." Roya said, giving Carrie a piercing look.

"That's classified. Was there anything else?" Carrie asked. Roya closed her pad and stood up.

"No. Thank you for your time." Roya said. She turned and walked out without giving Brody even so much as a glance. Once the door closed, Carrie looked at Brody!

"If I hadn't been here, what would you have told her, Brody? What? And why did your Chief of Staff even allow such an interview? There are people that don't believe President Walden died of heart failure! They think his death was some form of terrorism! You have to be more careful!" Carrie ranted.

But Brody just grinned!

"Why are you grinning like that? Nothing about this is funny!"

"So are you going to call me 'Brody' everytime you're pissed off at me or what?" Brody asked, still smiling.

Carrie reached for her purse and tried to ignore the effect his charm was having on her. It was time for her to leave.

"No more interviews like that and get a new Chief of Staff, okay 'Mr. President'." Carrie said, before walking towards the door. Just as she opened it, Brody called out to her.

"I want to see you tomorrow morning at nine. I want to pick up where we left off." Brody told her.

"I'll bring the files on Nazir and his network." Carrie replied.

"Oh. That too." Brody said, smiling naughtily at her. Carrie could not help but smile back as she opened the door and left. She had managed to get back in with Brody. And while he seemed skeptical of some of her story, the Roya Hammad thing just now, had saved her ass. Brody believed she was on his side now.

Carrie pulled out her phone and called Saul. She spotted Quinn walking with two men from Secret Service. They pretended not to notice one another.

Saul picked up.

"What happened?" he asked tersely.

"Tell David I'm back in. But we have other concerns."

"What?" Saul asked.

"Either Walden had an incompetent staff, or all of Walden's good staff quit after Walden died. I just caught Roya Hammad trying to interview Brody. And I suspect Brody wouldn't have known what he should say or shouldn't."

"His Chief of Staff allowed it?"

"Someone did. Vice President Lockhart was in the office before David and I walked in. For all we know he's really running things around here."

"And trying to make Brody look incompetent so he can come in and save the day." Saul finished. "What was Roya trying to find out?"

Carrie was walking outside of the White House by now and towards the check in gate.

"She knows that one of Nazir's mistresses has talked. She wanted to find out which one. I was about to bring Brody up to speed on all of that when she arrived."

"So Brody doesn't know himself?"

"No. Not that I'm aware." Carrie said.

"Okay, I'll run all this by David and find out how much we should be telling Brody. I was hoping this woman's possibly revealing Nazir's whereabouts, would bring him out of hiding. If for no other reason to try and kill her."

"Yeah well if she's killed before we find out where Nazir is..." Carrie began. But Saul cut her off.

"Then President Brody can tell us where he is. And I do think he knows. Otherwise everything else went alright?"

Carrie was now in her car.

"If you mean is he still interested in me? Yes. That went well."

"Carrie, if you don't want to do this..."

"It's way past too late, Saul. If I suddenly quit before I started, that would just make Brody all the more suspicious."

"He's suspicious?" Saul asked.

"Before Roya came in, I got the feeling Brody did not believe that I didn't still think he was a terrorist. Then when Roya came in and I kept him from possibly messing up, he seemed convinced of my loyalty." Carrie told him.

"If this gets too hard, Carrie. We can end this."

"Nicholas Brody could possibly end us. This country. Hard or not, I'm seeing this through." Carrie said. She then hung up. She would just have to hope that renewing her affair with Brody netted her Abu Nazir this time around.

Brody met with Roya in a room adjacent to the Oval Office. Her jaw was clenched.

"Carrie Mathison is now working for you. I didn't like what happened just now. But the more I thought about it, this could be a good thing." she told him.

"I took care of President Walden. I have more than proved my loyalty to Nazir." he told her.

"Did she give you the name of his mistress that is informing on him?" Roya asked.

"You interrupted our briefing."

"When will you see her again?" Roya asked.

"Tomorrow." Brody admitted.

"Good. When she tells you which mistress it is, you will give me the name. Nazir will take care of the rest."

Brody moved towards her, his manner slightly menacing.

"I've just told you that I did what was asked of me. I'm not passing along anymore information so Nazir can kill his old girlfriends. You tell him that!" he snapped.

Roya smiled coldly.

"I will. And once I do, chances are, you will be hearing from him." she said.


	2. Chapter 2

Jessica Brody hid her pleasure at seeing Mike Faber. She had given him her private cellphone number(though she was finding that there wasn't much that was 'private' anymore) in case he ever wanted to talk to her.

Or if she ever needed him at all.

Dana and Chris were away at boarding school. Jessica's mother had not approved of that choice, but it turned out to be the right one. Because while people loved the idea of Nicholas Brody as Vice President, many people were wary of his being the Commander-In-Chief. And neither Jessica or Brody wanted the children to put up with any crap because of their new status.

They had been sent to a posh boarding school in Europe, where their peers were the children of other heads of state and high ranking governmental officials. In other words, Dana and Chris should fit right in.

Jessica's mind wandered back to Mike and what he could possibly want this late? Brody would be coming up to the family residential area soon and she didn't want him to necessarily see her alone with Mike.

Mike came into their living room, dressed in a military uniform. A servant asked him if she could get him anything, but Mike declined politely. Jessica waited until they were alone to speak.

"Okay. I know you. There's trouble, right?"

Mike motioned for her to sit down and they both did.

"I just heard from Helen."

Jessica frowned.

"Helen Walker?"

"Yes," Mike said in a tight voice, "Matt found Thomas hiding in their basement! Helen and her son had been hiding him down there!"

"Holy shit!" Jessica whispered. "And I know I shouldn't curse now but I can't help it! So Matt called the police?"

"Jessica, Thomas beat the hell out of Matt! He's in the hospital. Helen called me and begged me to help Thomas."

"Jesus, Mike! Helen needs to be worried about Matt!"

"I'm worried that this is going to mess Brody up. So far it looks like this is a case of a man finding an intruder in their home and being attacked. At least that's what Helen told the police. She then called me and told me the real story." Mike admitted.

"And Helen wants Brody to do what? Help her with that lie! Mike, he's no longer Thomas's fellow, screwed up Marine! He's the president. He can't help him get away!" Jessica said firmly, just as Brody walked in and threw down his briefcase.

"I can't help who get away?" Brody asked. He kissed Jessica then shook hands with Mike.

"Mike, what brings you by?" he asked casually.

"Trouble. Tom Walker trouble." Mike admitted.

Meanwhile, Quinn had been assigned to the residence for the night. He had been by earlier and informed the staff that he was new and familiarizing himself on where everything was. And when no one was looking, he had planted a few listening devices. He was standing outside of the door of the living room and could hear everything...

"Helen was hiding Tom?" Brody asked in disbelief. "And she told the cops that Matt was attacked by some random weirdo?"

"You can't blame her. She thought her husband was dead. She feels the need to protect him. For her son's sake." Jessica said rubbing Brody's arm.

"Brody, this is going to look bad either way. If you have him hunted down and killed you'll look like a traitor to your fellow Marines..."

"Did you see me turning traitor after I was captured? No. And I think people will understand that there is a difference between a Marine that does his duty and one that turns against his country. I don't know what kind of 'help' Helen is asking for, but she'd better help herself and tell the cops the truth!" Brody told Mike.

"Mike," Jessica said, "it's bad enough we know this information before the authorities do. The president can't look as if he's helping Tom get away by not speaking up."

"Okay, okay. I'll tell Helen that she needs to fess up. Or I will." Mike said.

Meanwhile, Quinn eased away from the door and called David. He picked up on the first ring.

"Well?" David asked.

"There has been a Tom Walker sighting. Apparently his ex wife was hiding him in the basement of her home. He beat up her new husband when he was discovered. He can't have gotten far." Quinn said.

"I'll get a team on it." David said.

Quinn hung up just as Brody walked out of the living room, talking on a phone. Brody locked eyes with the newest agent, then turned away to walk down a hallway and talk. The president couldn't have a normal cellphone, with all of the trouble that would bring. And yet that phone did not look like the standard issue.

Quinn was convinced Brody had another phone. One that was probably given to him by Nazir. Quinn began to discreetly follow Brody.

"What are you doing to make sure that he doesn't get caught? Because if he's caught, he'll talk. And if he talks, I'm finished!" Brody huffed.

Roya was on the other end of that call.

"Don't worry. We have eyes on him. Someone will take him to one of our safehouses."

"Where? What will happen to him?" Brody asked.

"He is considered too loyal a follower to just dispose of. Nazir has other work for your fellow Marine. But do not worry. He will not be around to expose you." Roya said before hanging up. Brody stopped walking and Quinn turned and walked back towards the residence living room. He couldn't hear all of it, but he did hear Brody say 'if he talks I'm finished'.

It was imperative that they find Tom Walker first before someone from Nazir's terrorist cell picked him up.

It was also decided that the White House Terrorist Advisor, needed to return to the White House, pronto!

* * *

David and Carrie met with the president this time. They were fully aware of the Mike Faber conversation, no thanks to Quinn.

"So what have you got?" Brody asked.

"Tom Walker is no longer in the neighborhood. We set up a perimeter, quietly, to trap him but so far nothing. We've had the local police helping as well." David said.

"You didn't tell them that it was Tom Walker, right?" Brody asked.

"No," Carrie answered, "I have some contacts on the force. They did a canvas and told people that a burglar was on the loose and asked if anyone out of the ordinary had been spotted."

"Good." Brody said tiredly. "Well, if you catch him, what happens?"

"He'll be interrogated until we discover who his contacts are." David replied.

"All of them." Carrie added. Brody looked at her and again, for a moment, Carrie sensed distrust. Maybe she shouldn't have said that but she couldn't help it. Carrie realized that on some level, she was really hoping Brody would stop all of this and just confess. Confess to working with Nazir and...

Carrie could not help but agree with Quinn, who had voiced more than once the opinion that Brody had something to do with Walden's death. God, how she hoped that wasn't true!

"Well I guess there isn't anymore to say except to keep me posted." Brody said. David stood up.

"I'll fill the Vice-President in." David said. Brody nodded and then looked at Carrie.

"Carrie, I'd like for you to stay. There's something we need to discuss."

David half glanced at Carrie as he left. Once out of the office, he met with Quinn.

"Anything more from the First Lady and Faber?" David asked.

"Faber left like 15 minutes ago. Saul is actually talking to Helen Walker at the hospital. She might be able to tell us something that could help find her ex husband." Quinn said.

David glanced at the door to the president's office.

"Go back to the residence. See what you can do to keep the First Lady up there."

Quinn frowned.

"Why?"

"Because Carrie is still in there with Brody. And I don't want her to be interrupted."

* * *

Brody poured himself a drink and offered Carrie one, but she declined.

"Don't worry, sir. We'll find him. I know he was your friend. When we interrogate him maybe we can offer him a deal. Information for Nazir for immunity. It would be up to David, of course." Carrie said.

"I don't want to talk about Tom Walker." Brody said. He downed his drink and then set down the glass.

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"How you still don't believe me. I can see it, Carrie! You think Walker and I are in cahoots!"

Carrie made a decision in that moment. Brody just wasn't going to completely trust her, with regards to whether she believed in his innocence.

So she decided to stop lying.

"No, Mr. President, I don't believe you! Not at all!" she snapped. Brody threw up his hands!

"There we go! **THIS** is the Carrie I know and love!"

Carrie walked up to him.

"I think you were wearing a suicide vest the day that Elizabeth Gaines and two secret service men were killed! I think Tom Walker was only part of the plan. Those murders were a distraction to get you alone in a bunker with Walden. You didn't go through with killing him then but suddenly he's dead and your president! I think that..."

"I think you look fucking sexy way over there, accusing me of being a terrorist," Brody said and began moving towards her, "now come over and say that to my face."

Carrie clenched her jaw.

"So your defense is to not take me seriously?"

"My defense was that I couldn't hear you clearly. Come **RIGHT HERE** and tell me that again." Brody said as he pointed to a spot right in front of him. Carrie tilted her head and then took him up on his dare until her face was inches from his.

"I think you were wearing a suicide vest the day that Elizabeth Gaines and two secret service men were killed..." Carrie began but was stopped by Brody's mouth, as it covered hers in a hard kiss! Carrie pushed him away, covered her desire for him and continued.

"I think Tom Walker was only part of the plan. Those murders were a distraction to get you alone in a bunker with Walden..."

Brody's lips plundered hers again and Carrie found herself angry with how her mind swam incoherently with just the feel of his mouth on hers! She was losing ground here and worse yet, she was losing in general! She had to be the one in control here!

Carrie shoved him off of her!

"You didn't go through with killing him then but suddenly he's dead and your president! I think that..."

And that was when President Nicholas Brody's mouth possessively claimed hers, for the last time before his hands slid down under her skirt and ripped her underwear off with one hard tear! Carrie found herself lost in a smoldering whirlpool of pleasure as she helped him undo his pants! Things were moving way too fast! She hadn't learned anything from him yet and had probably blown her own cover!

Brody firmly grabbed Carrie's buttocks in a seizing hold, then lifted her so that he could quickly spear her onto his pulsating root. His length sank into her waiting, enfolding flesh and soon his carnal heat covered her like a blanket. Brody wrenched Carrie's smaller body upward to meet his seemingly unending savage thrusts.

Carrie forgot what she was supposed to be doing as Brody's deep groans filled her ears. She lost herself in their delicious, seamless motions until they shuddered against one another, burning from the electric heat of their encounter.

Afterwards, as they corrected their dress, Brody spoke first.

"I couldn't do it." Brody admitted hoarsely. "I couldn't blow myself or Walden up. Everything that happened since then, sort of just happened. And now Nazir thinks he has a foothold into this White House. I don't know how to get out of it."

Carrie took a deep breath. This was more than she had ever expected to learn. She touched his arm.

"I can help you."

"How? How do I tell them that a terrorist is controlling my every move!"

Carrie reached for his face and turned it towards her.

"We need to meet with David and Saul. The quicker we can kill Nazir, the sooner your secret is safe. The voters never need to know about this. Your family doesn't need to know but you can't be president. Not after this." she told him.

Brody looked her in the eye.

"I want Nazir gone. **AND** I want to be president."

"No, Brody that can't happen."

"Make it happen. I want Nazir gone, I want to be president and I want you. Make all of those things happen, Carrie." Brody told her.


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** : I have introduced a character from the show Law & Order UK. Because this character, Alesha Phillips, is being used as a plot point and will never have dialogue, I did not combine this story with that program in the crossover category.

* * *

Needless to say, the morning meeting between Carrie, David, Saul and Quinn, did not go well...

"Let me get this straight," David began, "you told Brody that we were on to him?"

"No, I did not! I told him that **I** was on to him and that 'we' needed to tell you about this. I outlined what would happen and he had some conditions." Carrie said, coughing.

Quinn stared at her. Hard.

"What kind of conditions?" he asked in a no nonsense manner. Saul looked suspicious as well.

"Carrie? What's going on?" he asked.

"Okay," Carrie said, "Brody seems to think that he can help us kill Nazir and still be president."

"No!" David snapped. "Absolutely not!"

"No," Saul said, his arms crossed, "I hope you set him straight."

"I tried." Carrie said. "But he still seems to think he can have it all."

"Does 'having it all' include some kind of permanent relationship with you?" Quinn asked. "Because him and the First Lady had one hell of a fight this morning."

"How is that pertinent to the situation?" Saul asked him.

"Because I put a listening device in their bedroom. And the First Lady is smoking hot, in case no one has noticed! But Brody wasn't even remotely interested in touching her, which is something she bitched about." Quinn revealed, his eyes never leaving Carrie's.

But Carrie didn't back down.

"So are you listening in on them to learn anything about Nazir? Or are you just overly interested in their sex life?" Carrie challenged him.

"Okay, that's enough!" David snapped. "Look, we wanted Carrie to renew her relationship with Brody. She did so. He admitted that he is working with Nazir. He will help us get him. I think Nazir will be open to meeting secretly with the actual president of this country. Which means a meet between the two will happen sooner rather than later. We'll deal with Brody's fantasies of staying president, later."

Saul spoke.

"I talked to Tom Walker's ex the other night."

"Helen?" Carrie asked. "What did she have to say?"

"Enough to worry me. He told her a little about what happened after Nazir tricked Brody into believing he had killed him. He ended up in a similar situation like Brody. He was tortured, then sent to live in comfort at one of Nazir's homes. Apparently, he met a woman there."

Carrie, David and Quinn looked at one another, before looking back at Saul.

"So Tom Walker met someone while he was at Nazir's?" David asked.

Saul took a deep breath.

"I think it was his mistress. And from what I got out of Helen Walker, I think Tom Walker helped her escape him. I don't know if Nazir is aware of how she got away though." Saul said.

Quinn gave Saul a puzzled look.

"Okay, I've only been half looped in here. I know this mistress is the reason we have any intel on Nazir's whereabouts right now. But this woman had to know what kind of a monster she was dealing with, when she got involved with him."

Quinn's eyes left Saul's and focused on David, who was staring at him with pure loathing!

"Just so you know," David said slowly, "this woman was never Nazir's 'mistress'. She was a married woman on her honeymoon, that was kidnapped out of a Moroccan restaurant one night by Nazir. Her husband's body was found much later."

Quinn said nothing more but Carrie did.

"I know we should've told you more about this, Peter, but there were other factors here." she said.

"Like?" Quinn asked.

"Like the fact that she's a Senior Crown Prosecutor in the UK. Her husband was with the M.I.U. British police forces. We've been working with MI6 on this and it has not been easy. When Ms. Phillips returned to work..." Saul began.

"She returned to work?" Quinn asked in disbelief. "How? Why?"

Carrie folded her arms.

"I would have if I had been in her place. The point is, Nazir had the unmitigated gall to try and make contact with her. He threatened to put it out that she had been his lover and that they had both murdered her husband, if she did not use her power to get some of his men out of lower level charges. She is the only one, besides Brody, that has had regular contact with Nazir that we know of." Carrie informed Quinn.

Saul nodded to Quinn and they moved across the room and out of earshot.

"And in case you missed the dirty look David gave you, he is very fond of Ms. Phillips. She was kept in one of Nazir's homes for over six months where she was forced to do whatever she had to do to survive. Tom Walker helped her escape. So if I were you, I'd adopt a different tone when speaking of her. At least around Estes." Saul warned him.

Meanwhile, Carrie looked at David.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"Yes. And no." David admitted. "I actually met Alesha after things didn't work out between the two of us. She is very much like you."

"Really?" Carrie asked, smiling at him.

"She was career oriented. Determined to not be a junior crown prosecutor forever. She didn't feel as if she could handle a career and me."

"But...apparently she must have changed her mind?"

"Yes. Apparently she did. Carrie, Nazir knows it's Alesha. He almost has to. He's waiting for confirmation so that he can send someone in to kill her. When we give this information to Brody..."

"David, we have Alesha well protected. Brody is in a similar spot with him. And you better than anyone know what we're dealing with here." Carrie said.

"You mean is a crown prosecutor's life worth more than a brainwashed president that could possibly kill us all at Nazir's command?" David asked calmly. Carrie touched his arm.

"I'm not going to go there. But I will say this: I think you know what I'm dealing with now, don't you? You have feelings for Alesha. And you had to have had doubts, that she herself hadn't been affected by Nazir during her time with him-just like Walker and Brody were."

David didn't answer that directly. But his eyes took on a hard edge.

"I don't like the idea of Nazir, Walker and Brody all being free. I'm going to contact Alesha. Maybe she can help us catch Walker."

Carrie nodded.

"Okay. So today when I go to the White House..."

"At this point, tell him her name but instruct him to set up a meeting with Nazir so Brody can tell him in person. Brody can tell him that he doesn't have a reliable phone anymore-perks of the presidency." David said.

* * *

Jessica entered the Oval Office after Brody's secretary told her he was alone. She opened the door and found her husband standing and staring out of one of the windows. Jessica closed the door loudly, getting his attention.

"Jess, I really don't want to talk about this morning now." Brody said tiredly.

"Neither do I." Jessica told him softly. "I should have realized that you had other things on your mind."

Brody sighed.

"Jess, you need to know something."

Jessica raised a brow.

"Is this about Tom Walker?"

"No. It's about Carrie Mathison."

Jessica's brow furrowed briefly, as she tried to put face to that name. Suddenly, her expression turned dark!

"The crazy, blonde CIA lady? What? Is she out of the mental institution?"

"Well, it's more than that. She's my new Terrorism Advisor." Brody told her, his eyes searching hers.

Jessica shook her head.

"Your new what? Terrorism Advisor? I thought Homeland Security advised you? The CIA gave her her job back? A crazy person?"

"Yes. Though she takes medication for her illness."

Jessica moved closer to her husband.

"Wait a minute. So if she takes medication for something, then why did she have to be in a mental institution? So she's not full blown crazy?"

"No."

"So how much of what she said that day, when she came to our house, wasn't crazy?" Jessica asked.

"Jess, none of that matters now. The point is I didn't want to lie to you about her. I need to look strong here. I need to look as if I can protect this country. Carrie can guess what a terrorist might be planning before they actually do it. I need her here."

Jessica was hearing something else in Brody's tone. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Okay. Well there's nothing I can do about it, is there?"

"I need her." was Brody's answer. Again.

"Well, then you won't mind if I sometime 'need' Mike?" Jessica asked, just as Brody's secretary buzzed and told him that Carrie Mathison was waiting for their meeting.

"No." was Brody's answer as the door opened and Carrie walked in. When she saw Jessica, she stopped short. What had she walked in on here? She cleared her throat and Jessica tore her eyes off of Brody and faced her.

"Hello." Jessica said without any warmth. Carrie cleared her throat again and set down her purse and briefcase.

"Mrs. Brody, I know this is not an ideal situation. But I am only here to make sure that your husband has the best information he needs to fight terrorism. I can help him." Carrie told her.

Jessica folded her arms.

"My husband couldn't fuck me this morning..."

"Jess!" Brody snapped. But Jessica ignored him and continued.

"Like I said, my husband couldn't fuck me. Would you have anything to do with that?"

Carrie didn't answer but looked away. Jessica nodded to herself. Just as she had thought.

Jessica then looked at Brody again.

"Absolutely not. And I don't believe that Ms. Mathison here is the only person around that can help you fight terrorists. If you want our marriage to survive or your presidency, you'll get yourself a new 'Terrorism Advisor'."

Jessica then turned and walked past Carrie and out of the door. She didn't bother to close it but Brody's secretary did. And Carrie could see by the look on her face, that she had heard quite a bit of what had been said in here. Once the door was closed again, Carrie faced Brody.

"You told her about me?" she asked him.

"Yeah." Brody replied and ran a hand through his red hair.

"Okay, well I'll tell David to find you someone else. My working here is not the real issue anyway. You asked me to make some things happen. In order to do that, I had to tell David and Saul about what happened between us last night."

Brody walked over to his bar and poured himself a drink. He knew better than to offer her one, figuring she would refuse him. His back was to her as she moved to join him by the liquor.

"Do you want to know what they said?" Carrie asked. Brody took a sip, then looked at her.

"Let me guess: they can help with Nazir, they want me out of the presidency and you didn't mention my last condition...is that about right?" he asked, his eyed probing hers.

"Brody, Roya Hammad wasn't completely wrong yesterday. Yes, there is something to the rumor she spoke of. Only this woman was not Nazir's mistress. She was a lawyer in the UK that he kidnapped while she was on her honeymoon. He killed her husband and forced her to live as his mistress for months. Tom Walker was in the same house and helped her escape. We need for you to set up a meet with Nazir offering the name of this woman. At the meet we'll have a team set up to take him down." Carrie told him.

Brody set down his drink.

"David Estes was in on this the whole time, wasn't he? The plan was to get you in here to get close to me, wasn't it?"

Carrie looked away but Brody reached for her chin and turned her face back to his.

"Wasn't it?" he repeated.

"For your own good, Brody, you should talk to David and Saul so they can tell you what you're facing." Carrie told him, removing his hand from her face.

"They have something? That's what you're telling me, right?" Brody asked.

"What I am telling you," Carrie said, "is that if you do not cooperate with us in catching Nazir, there is a piece of evidence that will be revealed that proves that you at one time, planned to kill Walden back when he was Vice-President. What I am telling you is that you cannot stay president even if you help us with Nazir. What I am telling you is that you need to try and make what you have with your wife work. You have a family. I have a career and an illness that no one could possibly understand or have the patience to put up with."

Brody stared at her and continued to do so until Carrie became unnerved.

"What?"

"I'll cooperate. I'll set up a meet. I'll do whatever you ask when it comes to Abu Nazir. After that's over I will go on television and confess to the American people that I was once brainwashed and that I actually helped take down the terrorist that almost turned me against my country for good. Mix in a good Washington spin team and yeah, Carrie, I think I could stay president."

Carrie scoffed!

"You really think the American people would understand what you did?"

"What I almost did. William Walden died of heart failure. In the end, I couldn't kill him. I could not betray my country. That's what I will say and yes, damnit, I think people would believe that! Which brings us to the load of horseshit you just tried to sell me about us." Brody told her.

"Horseshit? I am bi-polar! You saw me at my worst, Brody! Your family saw me and I scared the shit out of them! I scared the shit out of Saul! David fired me. I wouldn't ask that of you or any man."

"But you're not saying no?" Brody asked, smiling at her.

"Yes I am!"

"I'm hearing excuses and a lot of crap about things that 'could happen' if we're together. I lived in a fucking hole for eight damned years! You think I can't handle a sexier than hell bi-polar CIA lady?" Brody challenged her.

Carrie looked down, since her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. But she bravely raised her head again to look at him.

"I'll tell you what? If you can make those first two conditions happen, I'm all yours! However you want me. You can stay married to Jessica or not or however you think we can be together!"

Brody moved towards her.

"You mean that? You're not going to change your mind later?" he asked.

"I don't have to worry about changing my mind! Even if we kill Nazir, you won't be able to stay president! I don't believe the American people will buy your story! But yes, if somehow, we kill Nazir and you stay president, **YES** , we can be together! Body and soul!"

It was then that the intercom buzzed and the secretary announced Roya Hammad was waiting. Carrie stopped staring at Brody and looked towards the door, then back at Brody. She swiped at her eyes.

"Why is she back here?" Carrie asked in a no nonsense tone.

"Because," Brody said grimly, "she is part of Nazir's terrorist cell. She wants the name of Nazir's mistress that plans to betray him."

"Roya Hammad? And you told her you would give it to her?" Carrie asked. That could not happen! Brody needed to give Nazir this information personally!

"I told her I had no intention of helping him kill off one of his girlfriends. Roya said she would tell Nazir that personally."

"So she threatened you?" Carrie asked.

"Yep! That's about the size of it." Brody said.

Carrie's thoughts were running wild! They now knew of another Nazir contact! She needed to get this information back to David and Saul before they proceeded.

"Did she have an appointment?" Carrie asked.

"No." Brody said, shaking his head.

"Then let's get rid of her." Carrie said and walked to the door, opening it. Roya looked as if she was about to step in, when she stopped short at seeing Carrie.

"Carrie Mathison. I didn't realize..."

"What? That I was meeting the president? I'm his Terrorism Advisor. We meet everyday. The president, however, does not meet with journalists privately everyday. Why are you here again?" Carrie asked, putting the woman on the defensive.

"Actually, Carrie, I'm glad you're here. I obtained the name of Abu Nazir's mistress. The one that knows of his whereabouts. All I need is clarification from you before I go on the air with it." Roya said, smiling coldly at her.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ms. Hammad," Brody said, buttoning his suit jacket, "why don't you step into the office and we can continue this discussion in here."

Carrie moved aside as Roya walked in and closed the door. The first thing she did was walk towards the sofa her and Carrie had been sitting on the other day. Roya reached under the cushions and pulled out a small listening device. She held it up for Brody and Carrie to see.

"What the hell is that?" Brody asked. But he knew.

"Something I left behind the other day." Roya answered. "I found the conversation between the two of you, oddly touching."

Carrie moved towards her.

"I'm glad. You can tell me all about it at CIA headquarters. I'm just going to make a call and some men will be over to escort you there." Carrie said, pulling out her phone.

Roya now grinned, as she unbuttoned her blouse, only to reveal a suicide vest! Carrie dropped her phone and Brody pulled her back towards him!

"Jesus, Roya! How did you get in here wearing that?!" Brody hissed.

"The tailor made two of these. Mine is form fitting. And alarm proof." she said as she pulled a detonation trigger from out of her pants pocket!

"Okay, okay," Carrie said, forcing her voice to stay calm, "what do you want?"

"This has never been about what I want. Abu Nazir is requesting your presence. Both of you. We are leaving now or I will blow this White House up." Roya informed them.

"Okay," Brody said, "but I can't just leave. I have to inform the Secret Service..."

"I'm aware of that," Roya said, "and I will allow you one agent. Preferably the CIA one that was put on your detail."

Brody looked from Roya to Carrie.

"You put a spy on my Secret Service detail?"

"Do you really want to argue about that **NOW**?" Carrie countered.

"Just get him!" Roya snapped. "I know which one he is. He's outside that other door now with a listening device in his ear. So he should come in now."

A few moments later, Quinn slowly opened another door, then closed it behind him. He looked at Carrie.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. Carrie nodded. Roya eyed him.

"You'll be accompanying us to an undisclosed location." she said. Quinn shook his head.

"That's not how it works. I'll need someone else. That's a two man job at the very least." Quinn informed her.

"Well then you find a way to make it happen. Otherwise you forget about ever seeing Nazir again. This is your last chance to get any lead on his whereabouts. Surely you don't want to mess that up?" Roya asked coyly.

Unfortunately, because Roya was facing Quinn, she did not see the other door quietly open and a Secret Service agent step in. He pointed his gun and shot her in the back of the head, before she could even think about touching the trigger on her detonation device! Quinn and three other agents hurried in and undressed her, looking over the bomb. Her corpse was then picked up and gently carried out of the Oval Office. There were gapers, of course.

Carrie realized the scene needed to be controlled! She turned to Brody.

"I'll take care of everyone here that might have witnessed or heard the shooting. Your people need to do damage control with the media."

Brody rubbed his hands over his face.

"Where is she being taken, Carrie? She's still wearing that vest!"

"We'll take care of it so that it doesn't go off. The point is it didn't go off. Everybody is safe but this isn't over."

Brody nodded.

"I know. When Nazir hears about what happened, he's just going to come after me another way. I want to meet with David Estes. This needs to end as soon as possible."

Carrie touched his arm, nodding, before leaving the Oval Office. Even if Roya Hammad had been wearing an 'alarm proof' vest, she should've never been able to step into this office wearing it. She wanted to know what the hell was going on with Brody's security! Or the lack there of!

* * *

David had more questions of Quinn than anyone else.

"What the hell happened?! And I don't want to hear any shit about an alarm proof explosive vest! I'm not buying that!"

"Neither am I," Carrie said looking at Quinn, "I know you were brought in to watch Brody and see if makes contact with Nazir, but I think you're missing something."

"Oh you do, do you? You think I fucking liked the fact that a president, even a brainwashed one, was almost killed on my watch? I know full well I missed something!" Quinn snapped.

"I'm not just talking about the vest itself! I think someone let Roya Hammad into that White House knowing full well she was there to kill Brody! He has more to worry about than just Nazir!" Carrie huffed.

Saul entered the room with the forensics report.

"Well, there is no way that goddamned thing wouldn't have set off an alarm. I would think looking over some video would let us know what happened security wise." he said. Quinn, who had been leaning against a table, stood to full height.

"I'll handle that. It's the least I can do." he said grudgingly before leaving the room. Saul stared after him, before looking at David and Carrie.

"What's going on with him?" he asked. David held up a hand.

"Nothing. Carrie, you said Roya claimed to know who Nazir's mistress was. Did she ever name Alesha?"

"No. And after what she pulled, I'm not convinced she knew anything at all. That whole line of conversation might have been a ploy to just get into the office." Carrie grumbled, annoyed at how the day had went. She felt like she was wasting time here, talking this whole thing out. She needed to be at the White House. Someone had let Roya in to kill Brody if he didn't do what Nazir asked. How many more people working for Nazir, were in that White House?

David's phone rang and he answered quickly. He then hung up.

"The President's here. He wants to discuss how to bring down Nazir." David informed them. Saul eyed Carrie.

"I wasn't sure that your confronting him about what we were doing was the right play. But after what almost happened today, I'm glad you did it. We don't have anymore time for bullshit." Saul said.

David nodded.

"Yes. And that is what we need to tell the president. No more bullshit. He helps us bring down Nazir and resigns from the presidency." he said.

* * *

Brody, Carrie, David and Saul were in a bunker interrogation room. David and Saul kept getting interrupted by phone calls, so they had not started their meeting.

"How are you? I see your press secretary controlled the media swarm."

Brody nodded.

"Yeah. The story is that a Secret Service agent's gun accidentally went off. It doesn't look good but it's better than saying that a terrorist intruder tried to blow up me up."

"And Jessica? She has to be wondering what happened?" Carrie asked. Brody eyed David and Saul before answering.

"I told her that the agent that accidentally fired that shot, was fired."

"Okay. Well that sounds good."

Brody looked into her eyes.

"Yeah, it does. I want Quinn gone. I don't need to be spied on here. I have come in and I want Nazir out of our lives as much as you do."

"Brody, that is not my call! And David isn't going to go for that. Now Quinn is over at the White House now, looking over the video of who let Roya in there! She did not have an alarm proof vest on. Nazir might have other people in that White House waiting to take you out at a moment's notice!" she hissed.

"I get that, Carrie. But I don't want Quinn in charge of anything. For all I know **HE'S** the one that dropped the ball! I understand it needs to be looked in to. But I don't think I'm out of line here, asking that someone else investigates this." Brody said. What he would not admit, was that he had another reason for wanting Quinn gone.

There was something he sensed about the man, with regards to Carrie. And it was something Brody noticed that Carrie did not seem to be aware of. Quinn had barely taken his eyes off of Carrie during that incident. Brody had also caught Quinn giving him the stinkeye! And no, he did not think it was because of his association with Abu Nazir.

That had been all about Carrie.

Before Carrie could respond to Brody's words, David finished his call and walked over to them. He looked Brody in the eye.

"Mr. President, I'm going to just be blunt here: I can't prove that you somehow killed William Walden so you could sit in that Oval Office and do Abu Nazir's bidding. But I can prove that you tried to blow him up the same day Elizabeth Gaines and two secret service agents were killed. And we have proof that Roya Hammad and you were conspiring with Nazir to do great harm to this nation. Help us get Nazir and you will be quietly pardoned. You resign from office and the matter will be over."

Brody glanced at Carrie before responding.

"I'd like to see this 'proof' you have."

"Fine." David said.

"And I won't be resigning." Brody told him. By now Saul had finished his call and joined in the conversation.

"President or not," Saul said, "you will be resigning, you sonofabitch!"

"Saul!" Carrie cried out. But Saul ignored her and continued his rant.

"You are no better than Nazir. You have jeopardized your family's life and continue to do so with this fantasy of yours that you can stay president after taking down Nazir, who has proof, not to mention contacts, that **KNOW** you were conspiring with him! Don't you see? Taking him down won't keep your secret!" Saul snapped.

And with those words, David opened up a laptop that was already sitting on the table. He hit a few keys and Brody's suicide confession began to play. Carrie watched him carefully. Yes, he seemed visibly shaken that they had this. But he only watched himself for a few more minutes, before his eyes met Saul's again, defiant.

"So I made a tape. I was forced to. Under duress." Brody lied.

"That's your story?" Saul asked with disgust.

Carrie decided to end this group interrogation. She pulled Saul away from him and motioned for David to join her away from Brody. Brody's eyes went back to watching his 'confession'.

"Let me talk to him. I'll get him to understand."

"How?" David asked. "You've spent two days in the Oval Office with him and he hasn't done shit!"

"I can get him to sign an agreement that says he will resign the presidency. But I have to do this my way. You brought me in here to get close to him. Let me do what I came here to do." Carrie said quietly.

David pointed at her.

"We're running out of time with Alesha. And Tom Walker. Let's at least get a plan on the table as to how to get Nazir." he said.

"Agreed." Saul said. "We can worry about his resignation after we have Nazir and Alesha is safe."

Carrie nodded in agreement and then watched as Saul and David left the room. She then turned to face Brody. He closed the laptop.

"Well?" he asked. Carrie moved so that she was standing in front of him.

"Let's go back to the cabin. Before we jump into taking down Nazir. Let's make sure that we know where we will be after this is all over." she suggested. Brody reached out and pulled her lips to his in a hungry kiss that Carrie almost got lost in herself, before she broke it off.

"Brody, we can't do this here!" she whispered against his mouth urgently.

But Brody still had ahold of her face.

"You decided that we need to go to the cabin while you were over in the corner with Saul and David. Is this some kind of trick? Is this really about us?"

"That cabin **IS US**! I would never bring work there." Carrie whispered fiercely. Brody nodded and his lips reclaimed hers, each kiss blending into another one, until Carrie thought she would never reclaim her breath! She managed to pull back but it was Brody that spoke.

"We almost died today. Carrie. I almost lost you. We need to be together now." he whispered against her lips.

Carrie wanted to tell Brody that that would have never happened. That she somehow would have stopped Roya Hammad from blowing them up. But she hadn't stopped her. Quinn called for backup and a secret service agent put an end to her.

And yet, Carrie felt as if getting away with Brody, now in this moment, was her best chance to get him to change his mind about things. David Estes was no one to play around with. If Brody did not resign then David could very well make sure that President Nicholas Brody ended up just as dead as President William Walden.

"I'll talk to Saul," Carrie whispered back, "Saul and David can arrange a cover story with the White House. But it can only be for one night. We can't afford to be gone any longer."

Brody's response was to cover her lips in a brief, sensuous kiss that demanded a response that would take things further than they could go, given their surroundings. Brody reluctantly stopped his mouth and nodded against her. Carrie reluctantly pulled out of his arms and left the room. She found Saul alone.

"Where's David?" Carrie casually asked, knowing that she sounded anything but casual.

"You know I saw and heard everything, right? David left to check on Alesha, to make sure she's alright. We're going to put a plan in motion and no, there will be no time for a cabin stop. What the hell are you doing, Carrie? You said you knew what you were doing this time."

"I do, Saul."

"You're being sucked into whatever this thing is you have with Brody. It can't end well. He's married and even if he wasn't...this can't go anywhere. It can't end well."

"Why?" Carrie asked, folding her arms. "Because David plans to have Brody killed? I know how this works. If Brody doesn't resign, then he'll be killed or he'll die in some way where no one will think he was murdered. I'm not letting that happen."

"I don't want to be crude here, but if you think fucking this man into doing what you want, will work..."

"It will work and it will save his life! Make this happen, Saul! We need to leave right now and all I need is one night. One night. Give me the agreement you want him to sign and by morning, Brody will help us take down Nazir and be ready to resign." Carrie said.


	5. Chapter 5

Quinn was not going to get the chance to do anything.

Brody had already arranged it so that Quinn specifically took the blame for the 'accidental discharge of his weapon', something Quinn himself had not been aware was even going to happen. Brody also took the liberty of ensuring that Quinn's termination began immediately.

That meant that Quinn never got the chance to step foot back into the White House. Now on his way back to Langley, he spoke with David via speakerphone in his car.

"That sonofabitch has shut me out! **I'M** the official 'accidental discharge' agent! What the hell did Brody say during his interrogation?"

"Enough that we might need to activate our back up plan." David told Quinn. Quinn said nothing for a short moment before answering.

"You're sure?"

"He has no intention of resigning. Carrie is under some delusion that she can fuck him into submission up at her cabin. At this point, I don't want to take a chance either way. It's just easier if he's not a problem anymore. We'll wait until Brody hands us Nazir and then..."

"Understood." Quinn said, hanging up.

* * *

The official story to the world was that President Brody was at Camp David.

The First Lady wasn't buying that story. And she thought the timing of this gun incident was damned strange as well. It seemed like all of this happened after she left her husband and Carrie Mathison, in his office earlier.

She decided to pay Vice-President Lockhart a visit in his office. Jessica didn't know him very well, but she firmly believed that he wanted Brody to succeed, so that **HE** could succeed.

"Mrs. Brody," Vice-President Lockhart greeted her, "what a nice surprise. What brings you by?"

Jessica was about to answer, when she noticed that Vice President Lockhart was not alone. A man was standing in the corner and Jessica could not help but think that his visit had something to do with Brody.

"Mrs. Brody, I'd like for you to meet Sandy Bachman. He is going to be your husband's new Chief-Of-Staff." Lockhart informed her. Jessica raised a brow. So her intuition had been right. She shook hands with him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bachman, but I thought my husband already had a person in the position?"

Sandy squeezed her hand briefly, before letting it go.

"He does, Mrs. Brody, but you wouldn't know it. Your husband thought it would be best if someone with a little more experience took over the position." Sandy said, before dragging his eyes off of Jessica and looking at Lockhart.

"Andrew, as always, it was a pleasure. Mrs. Brody, it was nice meeting you." Sandy said and left the office. Andrew Lockhart gave the now closed door, a hard look. He was not stupid. Not even remotely. Sandy Bachman was CIA. And he had been about to question him further about what he was **REALLY** doing in this White House, when Jessica Brody interrupted. He returned his attention to the First Lady.

"I am glad you stopped by, Mrs. Brody. I was hoping you could help convince your husband that his support 'The Pure Equality Bill', would go a long way with the base."

Jessica folded her arms. She didn't really want to get into matters that didn't concern her.

"Mr. Vice-President, no one elected me. I shouldn't get involved. Besides, I don't think I could convince him to bend on that one. Every young woman is Dana in his eyes. I actually came to see you because I know you have the president's best interests at heart."

"I do. Is there something wrong?"

"Besides Secret Service agents accidentally discharging their weapons? Yes. I was with my husband in the oval office, minutes before this happened. His new terrorism advisor arrived. I can't help but think that the two are connected."

Andrew Lockhart lifted a brow.

"You think that Carrie Mathison's being in the office and the weapon, are related?"

"Yes. And no. I guess what I'm saying is, I get that you want to be successful. And in order for that to happen, my husband has to have a successful presidency. I think Carrie Mathison will keep that from happening."

Andrew's jaw clenched.

It then unclenched. He didn't like what he was hearing. He didn't like hearing about problems he didn't know **WERE** problems! And if something was going on between President Nicholas Brody and Carrie Mathison, that could very well be a problem for **HIM**! He personally always believed that there were voters out there that blamed Al Gore for that Monica Lewinsky crap, as much as they did Bill Clinton!

"I didn't realize there was anything between them but business." Andrew said lightly.

Jessica sighed.

"That's what I thought at first. Then about a year ago, my husband disappeared for a weekend and I knew. Somehow I knew he hadn't been alone. And then I watched him with her, in a sort of chance meeting. I could feel it. And when I confronted the president about it this morning, he didn't even bother to lie about why she was here."

"Are you telling me that Carrie Mathison is not here to advise the president? That this is about continuing some affair?"

"I'm not saying she isn't competent. I'm saying that my husband will be distracted by her. She's there to advise him on possible terrorist attacks. I don't think when they are together, they are thinking about 'terrorism'. Mr. Vice-President, I'm not asking you to help me keep my husband. I'm asking you to help my husband keep his presidency." Jessica said almost sadly.

Vice President Lockhart nodded. Nicholas Brody's presidency **WAS** his presidency, in many ways. But before he panicked, he decided to pay David Estes and Saul Berenson a visit over at Langley. Maybe this was nothing. Maybe it was just Jessica Brody's imagination working overtime. Maybe she had misunderstood what her husband had supposedly said to her, moments before the gun discharge.

But he took Jessica's hand and rubbed it soothingly.

"I will handle this problem. I want the president to get eight years as well as anyone."

Jessica smiled and withdrew her hand from his, before leaving the room. Once she was gone, the Vice-President stared at the closed door. First that visit from Sandy Bachman and now this!

Sandy was another reason he needed to see Estes and Berenson about. He smelled their hands in this new promotion of Bachman's. He wanted to know what was really going on in this Brody White House, pronto!

* * *

"Do you know how great it is to be able to drive a car again? By myself?" Brody asked, as he accelerated Carrie's SUV down a country road.

"Oh I can tell how great you think it is," Carrie said sardonically, "you're going over fifty, 'Mr. President'."

"Oh no. We're back to that again, hey?" Brody asked, glancing over at her smiling. Carrie smiled back. She had always found his smiles to be infectious and disarming. She turned away and looked out her open window. Brody glanced over and for a brief moment, watched Carrie's windblown hair, blow rapturously. He had always loved her hair.

"So," Carrie said, breaking their brief silence, "what did the First Lady have to say about your 'Camp David' trip?"

"I think she thought it was bullshit. But she was also more focused on the fact that a gun had been fired in the White House." Brody answered, his eyes on the road.

Carrie glanced over at him.

"So you told her that I was working for you, right before I came in today?"

"Yeah."

"She didn't seem convinced that we could keep things professional." Carrie said, leaning her head back against the seat.

"That's because I didn't promise that." Brody replied. Carrie blinked.

"What?"

"I said I didn't promise Jess that. I told her I needed you. She then got cute and hinted that she would be taking up with Mike Faber again."

"Brody! You told your wife that you intended to pursue a relationship with me? In front of her face?" Carrie asked, stunned.

Brody pulled over on the side of the road but kept the engine running.

"Didn't you say you were mine? Body and soul?"

"There were some conditions..."

"I know better than anyone what the 'conditions' are," Brody told her firmly, but his eyes were smiling at her, "and what we have is not an affair. Can we at least agree on that?"

Brody's hand reached out to intertwine with hers. Carrie looked down at their hands, then at him before nodding.

"Okay then. This is our weekend. So, sexy CIA lady, when we get to our place, I am not the president of this country and you are not with the CIA. We are, what we were the other time we came here." Brody said.

"Which was?" Carrie asked, wanting to hear his answer.

"Lovers." Brody said. "Like Bonnie and Clyde."

"Bonnie and Clyde? So we're doomed lovers?" Carrie asked but her question just made Brody squeeze her hand even tighter.

"I can honestly say, before I became president, I might've thought that. Not anymore. We're Bonnie and Clyde, Carrie, only we don't die in the end." Brody said, letting go of her hand and pulling the car back on the road. Carrie wanted to say something else, but decided not to. She put his strange comparison of the two of them, out of her head, and told herself that at the very least, she had to get him to agree to give up the presidency once Abu Nazir was caught.

It was as Carrie stared at Brody's profile, that she realized what was nagging at her. Brody was different now, now that he was president. When she had first met him he was this seemingly harmless, Marine who had went through eight years of hell. And he was doubtful of being able to reclaim the life he had lost.

But President Nicholas Brody had not only re-claimed what he had lost during those eight years of capture, but he had exceeded his wildest expectations. And the presidency and the power it wielded, was not something he was willing to give up. He didn't think he would have to choose between her or the office, and at this point, Carrie was not sure she would be the winner in that contest.

It was probably best that she didn't have her heart set on a real future with him. Carrie looked out of her window. She told herself that getting Brody to understand that power or not, there were people that would do the unimaginable to get him out of that White House, was her ultimate goal.

* * *

It was afternoon when Brody parked the car in the gravel drive in front of the cabin. He got out first and moved to the back to begin pulling bags out of the trunk. Carrie got out and did a quick cursory look around. She wanted to make sure her family cabin was intact and that there wasn't anyone around that could be a threat to Brody. She felt like she was doing double duty this weekend-she was a spy and the Secret Service all in one.

Brody set some bags on the porch, then stared out at the water. He looked at Carrie.

"Let's go for a swim." he suggested.

"You want to go for a swim? Now?" Carrie asked, but could not help smiling.

"Yeah! I want to go for a swim!"

"I didn't pack a suit. And we're only here for one night so..."

Brody began removing his clothing! Carrie looked around wildly, as if she expected someone to jump out of the bushes or something.

"What are doing?!" she hissed.

"I'm going for a swim. And I didn't bring anything to wear either." he said, as he took off his shirt. He then began to remove his pants.

"Brody! I can't take the chance that you might drown or something..."

"You were never worried about my drowning before I was president! Just because I am the leader of the free world doesn't mean I forgot how to swim!" Brody grinned.

"I don't think you should take the chance, okay?"

Brody dropped his pants and briefs. He then walked up to her.

"You're here to seduce me into seeing your way, sexy CIA lady. Your job starts now-in the water over there." Brody said, giving her a knowing look. He then ran down towards the dock and dived into the water! Carrie covered her mouth! Goddamnit! Goddamn him! He was determined to make her prove that she was not working him, which she was, but still! It was getting kind of chilly...

"Fuck it!" Carrie said to herself and began to remove her clothes. She couldn't believe she was going along with this. When she was fully nude, Carrie sauntered towards the dock, walked to the edge and stood there, staring down at Brody, who was treading water. Carrie figured anyone with a good pair of binoculars was getting a good view here!

" **COME ON IN**!" Brody yelled.

"I've changed my mind, 'Mr. President'. Come inside and I'll help you dry off." Carrie said, smiling down at him.

"We can do that later! You come in, right now or I'll drown myself!" Brody countered.

"Oh nice, Brody!"

"Hey! No one said drowning is nice! If you don't get yourself in this water with me, I'm going under and not coming up."

"Go then!" Carrie challenged him. "Go under! But just think about what you'll be missing if you 'drown'."

Brody grinned and then went under. Carrie stared down at him for a moment, then folded her arms. At one point she turned to glance back towards the cabin, longing for some warmth, before looking down at the water again.

"Brody? Brody, cut the shit and come back up!"

Nothing.

"Brody, I am not playing around! Get back up here!" Carrie yelled, now feeling uneasy. Damnit, what if something really was wrong down there?

Finally, she decided she couldn't take that chance. She dived into the water and looked around for him, panicking! Where the hell was he?

She felt something grab her leg and she turned to find herself yanked into Brody's arms, his lips capturing hers. And when his body possessed hers, Carrie almost felt as if she could hear his deep sigh of contentment, even under water. As she surrendered to Brody's underwater seduction, on land, fugitive Tom Walker, eased out of the woods and crept into the cabin.


	6. Chapter 6

Farah Sherazi was waiting with David in his office when Saul joined them. Saul and Sandy Bachman...who was being brought in as Brody's 'new Chief of Staff'.

David began the meeting.

"First, I want to thank everyone for being here. And for their continued hard work. Farah, have you met Sandy?"

Farah nodded, smiling over at Sandy.

"We worked together briefly in Istanbul." she said.

"Yes, during what proved to be fruitless search for Nazir." Sandy replied.

"Well, hopefully that's about to all change," David said, "and to be clear, much of what will be talked about here, will be about what our plans are **AFTER** Nazir is killed. But right now, Farah, you have the floor. You have been looking after Alesha Phillips. How is she?"

"Scared," Farah said, "but determined to put an end to Nazir and reclaim her life. What concerns me is the idea that Nazir needs 'confirmation' that Alesha is the woman that knows of his whereabouts. He knows it's her. So why is he waiting? Why hasn't he just had Alesha killed already?"

"Because she has some influence in the U.K.," Sandy guessed, "not much, but she is still privy to information about cases that might involve members of his cell on a local level."

"But the same could be said of Nicholas Brody," Saul argued, "and yet Nazir had no problem sending Roya Hammad into the Oval Office to blow him up. I think we're missing something."

"Well, if there is anything to miss, I'll find it." Sandy said. "And so we're clear: I am not only serving as President Brody's Chief of Staff, to keep an eye on him and to better filter who gets in and out of that Oval Office, but I am there to make sure that Brody loses re-election if he does not resign from office."

"Yes," David said, "if we decide to go with a cleaner route."

Saul eyed David.

"And if we don't? What? Quinn puts a bullet in him?" he asked.

David leaned forward.

"I don't want to hear any of your judgmental bullshit, Saul. We don't know what we have on our hands with Nicholas Brody. Not really. Carrie is there to keep him in line, however she has to. But if she cannot get this man to resign after Nazir is out of the picture, and he seems as if he is a danger to this country, then yes, Quinn will take him out."

"And I will help Mr. Quinn make it seem as if his death was an unfortunate accident," Sandy chimed in, "but if Brody doesn't seem off kilter, then yes, I will make sure that the American people do not put him in come election time. I do see one problem though."

"What?" David asked.

"The Vice-President. I stopped by to speak to Lockhart and he recognized me as CIA. I assured him that I was no longer with the agency and at the same time, using my training to look out for Brody after the Roya Hammad incident. But I think you're going to be receiving a visit from him, David."

"Fine. I'll deal with the Vice-President. Farah, let's work on a plan of action on luring Tom Walker out of hiding. Chances are he will try and contact his wife and son again. When that happens, I want them to have a private number Alesha can be reached at. We can say she's in trouble and needs his help."

Farah gave David a skeptical look.

"You want me to go to Tom Walker's **WIFE** and tell her to have Tom call another woman?"

David shrugged.

"Well Helen Walker re-married..."

"No wonder your divorced." Saul sighed. "Farah's got a point. We'll work on another plan."

"Is someone in contact with Carrie? I know we said we'd trust her on this but someone should be able to pinpoint her location if there is a problem." David said.

"It's been done." Saul said. "Quinn is already at her location."

"Yeah," Sandy said, "I'm going to work on getting him back on the Secret Service detail. It sounds like Brody has an aversion to him, for some reason."

"I suspect the reason is Carrie." David said.

* * *

The afternoon had grown warmer and Carrie luxuriated in the hot sun, as her unclad body rested on a blanket that Brody had found in the car. He was beside her and Carrie had assumed he was just enjoying the sun, after their latest intimate encounter.

Her thoughts though, inevitably went back to the situation at hand. Despite the incredible pleasure they had both just experienced in the lake, Carrie was no closer to convincing Brody to resign from the presidency, than she had been before.

She realized he had been oddly quiet, and she opened her eyes and turned her head to look over at him. She was more than a bit startled to see that Brody was propped up on one elbow and had been staring at her with an amused smile on his face.

"What?" she asked, feeling somewhat annoyed. How long had he been watching her like that?

"Carrie Mathison," Brody began in a tone that one used when they were teasing, "I am amazed at the things I learn about you, the longer I get to know you."

Carrie just stared at him. What the hell was he talking about now? She slowly sat up.

"Okay. I give up. What have you learned about me, Mr. President?"

Brody's grin grew wider and he slowly sat up as well. He reached under the blanket and pulled out a paperback...

Carrie now jumped up!

"Give that back, Brody! Give it back, now!" she snapped. Brody now jumped up and held the book behind his back!

"Wow! We're back to 'Brody' again!"

"Brody, I mean it! Give that to me!"

"'Brody' twice in a row! I think I'll be keeping this with me and waving it in front of you, just so I can get you to call me by my rightful name!" Brody now grinned madly. He then slowly pulled the book from behind his back and read the title out loud.

"Savage Possession', the sequel to 'Savage Mercies' continues the love story of Rex Scanlon...really, Carrie, 'Rex'?"

Carrie had no choice but to grit her teeth and listen to Brody make fun of her favorite trashy novel!

"And he's in love with Sabrina, Carrie, did you know that? But even better, look at the cover? 'Rex' has red hair and Sabrina had blonde hair that's about your length, Carrie..."

Carrie reached out and snatched it out of his hands!

"Are you through judging my reading material?"

"Oh come on, Carrie! I'm only teasing! I just never would have thought you'd read that kind of thing. I mean you seem...well...not the type, that's all." Brody said, his eyes probing hers. Was Carrie really that upset that he had caught her reading some trashy novel?

Maybe it was because the guy had read hair. And was wearing this little piece of cloth over his privates.

"Don't you worry about my reading material, 'Mr. President'! What are you reading these days?" she challenged him.

"Classified documents. So I can't really talk about them."

"Ha. Good one. I think I'm going to go inside now." Carrie said, her manner now huffy. She didn't care that Brody knew she liked to read trash in her spare time. What she minded was that her 'spare time' had been when she had been in a mental institution and found the first book in this series, lying about in the sun room. Secretly, she had felt it was fate that the characters sort of resembled herself and Brody, even if the story itself was nothing like theirs.

Brody could sense that he'd hit a nerve but he was not exactly sure as to why.

"Oh come on, Carrie! I didn't mean anything by it! Honestly, I don't read that much myself, okay? There! Happy? I'm illiterate. Now come back over here..."

But Carrie ignored him. She didn't bother to put any clothes on either. She walked up the steps and into the cabin. She was barely in the first room, before Tom Walker appeared before her, and sprayed something in her face that caused her to pass out.

Brody, who had put some clothes on, appeared soon after, to apologize, again, and saw Carrie on the ground and Tom Walker pointing a gun at him! Brody knelt to where Carrie was, only briefly taking his eyes off of Tom, to see to her. He then looked up at Tom.

"What the hell have you done to her?" he asked in a low, but panicked sounding voice.

"It's called RD 17. Stolen from ISIS themselves. Believe me, they are no joke!"

"RD 17? What the hell is that?! What have you done to Carrie?!" Brody now snapped, letting go of her and standing up.

"First of all, Abu Nazir sends his regards. Secondly, he wants to know what happened with Roya Hammad." Tom said patiently.

"Oh, you mean when she she tried to blow me up in the White House? On Nazir's orders?" Brody countered.

"Nazir didn't do that shit! That was Roya trying to get you to understand that Issa's memory should never be forgotten." Tom said. He then eased over to a laptop he had set up and punched a few keys. Soon, Abu Nazir's face appeared on-screen. Brody stared at him and slowly moved closer to the laptop.

"Nicholas," Abu began, "there is no time for pleasantries. Carrie Mathison has been infected with a drug that will keep her in a permanent coma, unless you do exactly what I say."

"A permanent coma that what? Stops being 'permanent' once you're satisfied?" Brody asked with a sneer.

"Yes." Abu said simply, holding up a small spray nozzle. "This will bring your Ms. Mathison out of the state she is in, almost immediately."

Brody looked from the screen and down at Carrie on the floor, who was unmoving. He glanced at Tom before speaking again.

"What do you want?" Brody asked hoarsely.

"I want you to call a special joint session of congress to announce my capture. Something will happen that will call you away. Once you've left the capitol, a bomb will be detonated killing all members of congress."

"You're fucking crazy!" Brody seethed. "If I'm the only that lives, it will be pretty evident that I had something to do with it!"

"The emergency that pulls you away will be legitimate. Believable enough that no one will suspect you at all." Nazir told Brody.

"Abu...I help you kill everyone in congress and then what? Jesus! What the fuck!"

"Do it soon, Nicholas. Because until the event happens, Ms. Mathison will stay in her current, unfortunate state. I will be in touch." Nazir said, before signing off.

"Abu? Abu!" Brody began yelling. Tom moved to close the laptop and put it in a case, just as a bullet to the head, sent him crashing to the ground-dead! Brody looked over at Quinn, who entered the cabin quietly and eased over to Carrie.

"What's wrong with her?" Quinn asked, now kneeling beside her. He didn't especially care for the fact that she was naked and that somehow, Brody here had managed to dress.

"Walker over there infected her with something called RD 17. He then set up a laptop and let me speak to Abu Nazir." Brody said quietly, as he looked down at him and Carrie. Quinn slowly rose and pointed his gun on Brody.

"You just spoke to Abu Nazir? Is that what you're fucking telling me? What is this shit? Why was Tom Walker **HERE**? How does he know about Carrie's cabin?" Quinn demanded to know.

But Brody eyed him with distaste.

"You'll watch how you fucking speak to me, you got that? And don't think I didn't see you eyeing Carrie earlier at the White House. What the fuck are **YOU** doing here, anyway?" Brody now questioned him.

"Well 'Mr. President', if you thought the CIA was about to let one of our operatives go off alone with the 'Manchurian Candidate', you're sadly mistaken. And this proves it. What the fuck does this drug do anyway? What's wrong with her?" Quinn asked.

"Nazir said she's comatose. He said she was going to remain that way unless I set it up for everyone in Congress to be killed." Brody said gravely.

* * *

What was unfortunate for Carrie was that RD 17 did not exactly mix well with the anti-psychotic drugs she took on a regular basis. So what was going on in Carrie Mathison's head was confusing and very, **VERY** real to her.

Because while she looked as if she were peacefully sleeping, inside Carrie's head, a new reality was forming. One in which everything was reversed and nothing was quite the same.

It would be a reality, where Carrie Mathison and Nicholas Brody's roles would be reversed. It would be in this new reality, inside Carrie's mind, where **SHE** would be the captured and tortured soldier, trying to reclaim her life after years in captivity.

And it will be Nicholas Brody that assumes the role as the CIA analyst, who believes that Carrie is not quite what she appears to be.

Throw in Peter Quinn, who will be the loving husband who waited for his wife's return, not knowing whether she was alive or dead, and the results of their interactions are going to seem oddly familiar...


	7. Chapter 7

**CARRIE'S NEW REALITY-**

Carrie's eyes suddenly opened and she looked around in confusion. She was in the hospital. Why was she in the hospital?

Her mind replayed the events at the cabin...seeing Tom Walker suddenly appear in front of her and then...nothing. He must have knocked her out and Brody got her to the hospital. A doctor came into her room and Carrie was about to say something when someone else entered the room.

A man dressed in a military uniform. Airforce.

"What's going on?" Carrie asked, puzzled.

The doctor and the the man that appeared to be a colonel, looked at one another. The doctor spoke first.

"You've checked out alright. Better than alright, given what you went through." he said.

"Yes, Ms. Mathison, you're getting out of here. And once you've been debriefed, you'll go home." the colonel said.

Carrie stared at the colonel, then looked around her.

"Where am I exactly?"

The colonel looked at the doctor.

"I thought she was cleared? Because she doesn't sound okay."

"She cleared an hour ago." the doctor said.

"Hey!" Carrie snapped. "I'm right here! So stop talking over me! Where am I?"

The doctor tilted his head.

"You're at Ramstein Airforce Base Hospital..."

"Ramstein? What the fuck? That's in Germany!"

The colonel moved towards her.

"You know you're geography. Now do you know why you're here?" he asked.

Carrie said nothing more. Something was wrong. Very damned wrong. She emitted a fake cough.

"I'm sorry. I'm just really tired. Of course I know why I'm here." Carrie lied as her mind struggled to process what the hell was going on! How did she get from her nice family cabin with Brody, to some airbase hospital in Germany?

The doctor looked at the colonel.

"I don't think anything is wrong. I think it's nerves."

The colonel nodded slowly. He could understand that. He spoke to Carrie again.

"Why don't we see if we can get your husband on the line? Would you rather have us tell him you've been found, or did you want to talk to him personally?" he asked.

Carrie struggled to keep an expression on her face that didn't resemble pure horror! Husband? What the fuck?

She had no idea who this 'husband' could possibly be! She had no idea how she went from being at the lake with Brody, to some hospital in Germany. The only thing she could think was that it had to do with Tom Walker and Abu Nazir...

"Could you do it?" Carrie asked meekly. Hell, since she had **NO** idea who this husband was, she couldn't very well call him, could she? She didn't even know his first name!

"Of course." the colonel said. He motioned to the doctor and they left her room. Once the door closed, Carrie sat up straight! Jesus! What was that? What was going on? This was more than just some bad dream she was having!

She forced herself to stay calm and closed her eyes. What was it she last remembered clearly? Yes, Brody's laughing at her smutty book, walking away from him in a huff, walking into the cabin, seeing Tom Walker and then...

He knocked her out.

But...he didn't hit her with anything, not even his fist. So why did she lose consciousness? Why? Why did she pass out?

Tom Walker **SPRAYED** her with something! He sprayed her in the face with something and then nothing. And whatever it was, had her in this condition now. Carrie decided that all she could do was wait it out. Whatever was going on had to wear off, right?

So she was in the military. She had been separated from a husband for some reason. Carrie raised a brow. This was sort of what Brody went through. Odd.

And what of this debriefing? What the hell was she supposed to say about whatever! Carrie bit her lip. She would just play along until this whole hallucinogenic dream ended itself. It's not like she could stay in this 'world' forever, could she?

* * *

Lead CIA Analyst, Nicholas Brody stared at the picture of Carrie Mathison he had in his file, while Deputy CIA Chief, David Estes debriefed the room on her rescue. He could feel the other analysts half staring at him and he gritted his teeth and ignored them. This was bullshit!

When the briefing was over, Brody noticed that Saul Berenson had come into the room. He waited until it was just the three of them there. He picked up the Carrie Mathison file and tossed it at Saul.

"This is bullshit!" he snapped.

"Calm down, Nick, okay?" David suggested. "Our finding this Marine is not a reflection on you."

"The hell it isn't! Isn't the whole reason I'm on desk duty here, instead of being out in the field, where I belong, is because of this Abu Nazir thing?"

Saul cleared his throat.

"You were caught and let go. You didn't give up any information..." Saul began but David was a bit harder.

"Nick, you were caught fucking a relative of Nazir's."

"For information!" Brody snapped again.

"And then you were kept prisoner in the same compound we found Ms. Mathison in. Now the fact that you did not bother to rescue her in the six months that you were there, kind of looks bad. Yes." David said bluntly.

"Hey! I was busy being tortured! And then...well...the woman I was with..."

"Nazir's half sister of lower birth." Saul said pointedly.

"Yes, well she liked me and convinced Nazir to let me go. I searched that fucking place from top to bottom and I had a free run of the place! No one was there! Then remember we brought a team there after I returned and the place was empty! We assumed they had escaped to other parts! Nazir must have moved back in after we left. And I would not have missed an American there! Especially someone cute looking like this!"

David refrained from rolling his eyes. Nick Brody just didn't get it, did he? He was one of the most gifted CIA spies they had. Truly. And it had seemed like a great idea for him to try and turn a member of Abu Nazir's family, so they could get close enough to capture or kill him.

But Brody fucked up, got caught and then to be honest, didn't suffer enough! He was examined and one goddamned scab was found on his back and maybe he ingested some scorpion poison. Not enough to kill him, obviously. Maybe enough to kill an ant or something.

Then there was poor Carrie Mathison. Locked up there for years, never breaking and forced to do whatever she had to do, to survive. She had been there the whole time, according to her debriefing. So for all David really knew, Brody here was too busy fucking someone else in the house, to even look for a fellow American. It was sad. Truly sad.

"So I want to be there when we debrief, Ms. Mathison," Brody said, "it's only fair. My good name is being fucked with here. When is it happening?"

"We're going to give Ms. Mathison time to get re-acclaimated with her husband and daughter, then we're calling her in. There will be a welcome home parade at the airport and Vice-President Walden will be greeting her." David said. "Oh, and you will **NOT** be part of the debriefing."

"That's bullshit." Brody replied.

"It's life, is what it is." David told him. "And I won't have you trying to convince her that she saw you when she clearly didn't. Look, no one is saying you left her there on purpose or anything. You just didn't see her. Now I have to go. Saul...deal with this." David said, clearly referencing Brody. Once David left the room, Saul faced Brody.

"Don't look at me like that. It isn't happening." Saul said.

"Do you believe that I would just leave a Marine, a female one at that, in Abu Nazir's clutches, if she was there? I searched the damned place looking for intel and anything, or anyone that I could find. We have pictures of the room she was supposedly kept in! I know where that room is and no one was there when I was there!"

"Maybe Nazir moved her while he kept you there? You can't take this personally, okay?"

"What can I do to get back in? Just tell me!" Brody almost begged.

"Find some evidence that Carrie Mathison is lying about where she's been all of this time. Find some evidence that proves that she was not in that compound when you were there." Saul advised him.

"Okay. Can you authorize video surveillance for the Quinn home? That is her husband's name right, Peter Quinn?" Brody asked.

"That's not going to happen." Saul told him.

"You've got to give me something here, Saul!"

"If you want this, Nick, then make it happen somehow. But no on the surveillance. This woman is a poster child not only for this war, but for females in combat. She survived. So know what you're dealing with. Now, I'm going to be out of the country with Mira for a few weeks. I promised her a long, overdue second honeymoon." Saul said and walked out of the room.

Brody stared after Saul, then sighed heavily. He turned and picked up the Carrie Mathison file again, staring at her picture. Fine. If he was going to clear his name on this thing, he would make it happen. Himself.

* * *

Jessica Lazaro bobbed steadily upon Peter Quinn's thick penetration, even as his cellphone rang.

"Don't answer it!" she whispered fiercely, cupping her own breasts as she continued to seamlessly move up an down upon his thick bulk. But the ringing broke Quinn's concentration.

"It might be about Chloe," Quinn said, referring to his eight year old daughter. He groaned and grasped Jessica's waist, in an attempt to reach for his phone. He didn't bother to look at the Caller I.D.. when he picked answered.

"Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Peter Quinn?"

"Yeah, who's calling?"

"This is Major General Tony Trujillo calling from the Ramstein Airforce Base in Germany. We have some good news. Your wife, Sergeant Carrie Mathison has been found. Alive."

Quinn's eyes widened and Jessica could see something had happened. She slowly climbed off of him.

"Peter? Peter, what is it?" she asked softly.

Quinn looked at her.

"Carrie has been found!" he whispered. My God! Chloe! What would this mean for them as a family?

Jessica now got the hell out of bed! Carrie had, or was her best friend! She had found herself consoling Peter over Carrie's disappearance and playing mother to Chloe. They had been about to announce a more permanent arrangement to their friends and family and now this...oh God...

Jessica slowly dressed and didn't listen in on Peter's call. After what seemed like a long while, Peter hung up. She looked over at him.

"Well?"

Quinn squared his jaw and got out of bed. He put on a robe.

"Carrie has been found. Some terrorist kept her captive all of these years. Now she's coming home and she will expect to find myself and Chloe waiting. I have to break this to my daughter."

Jessica nodded and looked away. She would not ask what this would mean for them. There was no more 'them'- for now.

* * *

Brody slipped in to see Farah Sherazi, who was sitting in Saul's office, looking over the Carrie Mathison file. She smiled when Brody came in and closed the door.

He then locked it.

"Nicholas, I don't know what you want from me, but the answer is no." Farah said firmly. She stood up.

Brody walked over to her and reached around for the file. He glanced at it, then tossed it back on the desk.

"I need in on the debriefing." he said to her. Farah shook her head.

"Saul needs to okay that. It's already here that you are excluded."

"I need for you to 'unexclude' me, Farah." Brody said, moving so that he was inches away from her. Farah gave him a look.

"You know, you only come around me, when you need something. You never call or make any other plans..."

"Farah, come on. You know what my life has been like. And with what we do, who has time for future plans?" he asked, while he began unbuttoning the buttons on her blouse. Her hands stopped his.

"I am a decent woman. And I am ashamed of some of the things we have done here. In this very office." she whispered. "Now please go."

Brody ignored her words as his lips found the concave of her neck.

"You know Saul's signature. Forge it so that I can be in on that debriefing, Farah. Please?" his whispered, as his lips burned a trail down her neck. But Farah shook her head and pushed him away!

"No! I should call Saul! Better yet, why don't I call David and tell him what you tried to pull in here?"

"Okay, Farah. Fine. Do that and I'll make a couple of calls of my own. To your father and some of your family back in Iran! You'll be disgraced after I let it be known what the two of us have been doing here! Now you fucking forge Saul's signature and get me into that debriefing or your going to find out the real definition of 'shame', do you hear me?" Brody threatened.

Farah loathed him.

"Fine. It will be done."

Brody smiled at her and ran a finger down her nose, which she shied away from, as he turned and left the office. That was done. Step one. Step two was to get illegal surveillance but into Carrie Mathison's home so he could find out just where the hell she was all of these years.


	8. Chapter 8

**CARRIE'S NEW REALITY-**

Carrie had half figured out what was going on. She didn't quite know **WHY** she was in this state, but she was beginning to understand **WHAT** was happening in her new reality.

She was sitting on a plane, wearing a Marine uniform skirt suit with a hat. Her hair was in a ponytail. She could feel Major Craig Foster, who was sitting next to her, staring. He had been a friend of the late Elizabeth Gaines and one of Brody's biggest supporters for Vice-President with Walden. Carrie wondered if Elizabeth Gaines was alive in this reality?

And she wondered where Brody was? Carrie sighed. She was sure he would show up in this dream sometime, somewhere.

But even crazier, if that term was appropriate, was that she apparently was not bi-polar in this world. She hadn't taken one anti-psychotic drug in days and had not fallen apart.

Major Foster reached over and covered one of her hands with his own.

"You're nervous. It's only natural. But I have been in communication with your husband this whole time. He and your little girl, can't wait for you to come home." he assured her. Carrie smiled wanly at him. What was she supposed to say to that? She was married to Quinn! How had that happened in any universe? Not that he was bad looking or anything, he just didn't seem to be husband material. And Carrie didn't dare ask what he did for a living!

She also forgot what their 'daughter's' name was supposed to be again! Damn! How was she ever going to pull this off?

Then again, she had pulled off the debriefing beautifully. The circumstances were somewhat similar to Brody's, but a little different. Carrie just made up a few details and before she knew it, a story had been created. One where in which she and another woman Marine named Helen Walker, had been captured. Helen was actually killed, no BS fake death like her husband. Her body was found and returned to her husband and son in the United States. Carrie was kept and she lied about being raped everytime she did not give Abu Nazir or his men, any information. She also threw in waterboarding as a form of torture and the world seemed to believe that Carrie Mathison had been captured, tortured and survived years of hell courtesy of Abu Nazir.

There was one thing that nagged at her though: she kept getting asked questions about 'Americans that may have tried to rescue her'. What the hell was that about? No one had tried to rescue Brody during his captivity. And the truth was, this world Carrie was in wasn't real anyway. She was never kept a prisoner by Nazir so she had no idea if anyone tried to help her or not! She just needed to get through all of this until whatever Tom Walker sprayed in her face, wore off.

* * *

Quinn buttoned up the little coat that his daughter Chloe was wearing. She was eight years old and small for her age. Jessica had insisted on being with the two of them at Andrews Airforce Base when Carrie arrived. And Quinn could tell that Chloe felt better having Jessica around.

Jessica, for her part, was very damned nervous! She hadn't known what the fuck her friend Carrie had been thinking, when she became a Marine and then left for Iraq. But then again, Jessica suspected that no one ever expected to get caught, die or even get shot. Carrie probably expected to come through this with flying colors. Like she had everything else in her life.

Jessica shook her head as she clutched Chloe's hand. That was not fair. Carrie didn't ask for any of this and she couldn't imagine what she had been through. She had been forced to leave her little girl and husband behind, to fight for their country and it went horribly wrong.

Carrie's sister, Maggie eyed Jessica from across the waiting area. Her and Carrie's father, Frank, was talking to Maggie's young daughters, Ruby and Josie, and at one point, he looked up and saw his older daughter looking at Jessica and Chloe. He excused himself from his granddaughters and put his hands on Maggie's shoulders.

"Stop staring at her. This will work out." he said softly. Quinn was staring out of the door. Carrie's plane had just landed.

"It had better! Look, I like Jessica. I get that Quinn and her did not think Carrie would ever come back. But I never gave up hope. My sister is back. Chloe's mother is back. And Quinn had damned well better remember that!" Maggie hissed. She then calmed down and walked over to Jessica and Chloe.

"Chloe, honey, why don't we go stand by your father. Your mother will be in here any minute." Maggie said, straightening Chloe's hair, not that it needed it. It resembled Carrie's, only it was thicker. She was wearing a headband that glittered. Maggie suspected Jessica picked the shiny headwear out for her niece.

"Okay." Chloe said, sounding unsure. She walked over to Frank first, who took her by the hand and headed over to Quinn. Once they were out of earshot, Maggie turned to Jessica.

"I hope you don't plan on 'confessing' anything to my sister? She doesn't need to hear anything crazy right now."

Jessica folded her arms.

"The idea of Peter and I is not crazy. But I have no intention of interfering with anything. I'm just here as Carrie's friend."

Maggie nodded, then turned to join the rest of the family by the door. Jessica hung back and stared out of the window, as Carrie made her first appearance. There was a small crowd outside and she watched as her Carrie shook the Vice-President's hand. Jessica raised a brow. She didn't know how she had expected Carrie to look, but to be honest, she didn't appear as if she had suffered one day in her life.

Oddly, Vice-President Walden was thinking the same thing. Not only did Carrie Mathison look great for someone that had been held prisoner for so many years, but her demeanor was odd. Yes, she seemed unsure and uneasy, but not because she was traumatized. Then again, he had no real idea how anyone was supposed to act in a situation like this. How was a woman supposed to look that had been kept as a chained sex slave of a fiend like Abu Nazir?

Carrie took a deep breath, then walked into the waiting area, where she found Quinn, her sister, mother, nieces...a little girl and...

Jessica Brody?

Carrie tore her eyes off of her and looked at Quinn.

"Hey!" she said, because she couldn't think of anything else to say. Quinn could not take his eyes off of her. She looked...well...fabulous for someone that had been kept in captivity. Why was that? And why had his cock clenched at just the sight of her? It was Jessica he had been building a life with in his wife's absence and yet...

He reached down to embrace Carrie and found himself almost picking her up off of her feet! Carrie was a bit surprised at how emotional he seemed. Quinn never showed that much emotion in their real world.

He set her down and Carrie was then forced to look down at their daughter.

"Oh wow. Is this..."

"Yes," Quinn said, running a hand down his daughter's hair, "this is Chloe."

"Chloe...oh...wow..." Carrie said, reaching out and hugging the child but feeling nothing. She felt the child's arms go around her quickly, before disappearing. Carrie then stood to full height and hugged her father, Maggie and then bent down to hug her nieces again, before looking over at Jessica.

"Jessica?" Carrie asked. She was not sure why she would be here? But since everything was totally crazy here, she decided to just let Jessica fill in the blanks.

"Hey you! Long time no see!" Jessica said, walking over and hugging her. The hug still didn't explain anything. Like why Jessica was hugging her. And why wasn't Brody with her?

Vice President Walden walked in from the tarmac...along with David Estes! Carrie pretended like this was the first time meeting him.

"I don't want to interrupt your time with your family, Sergeant Mathison. But we will need to debrief you at Langley. Just let us know when you're ready." David said kindly.

Carrie glanced around at everyone then spoke.

"Now."

Quinn looked around at everyone with surprise! Walden and David exchanged glances.

"Carrie," Quinn said in a tight voice, "maybe you should come home and get settled in first?"

Carrie faced him.

"I want that more than anything. But I also don't want this hanging over my head. I don't want to think about what happened over there, now that I'm home. I want to get it over with now, so I can concentrate on you. And Chloe." Carrie lied. The truth of it it was, this family scene creeped her out! Quinn was looking at her expectantly. Chloe expected her to turn into an instant mother. Maggie had that reproving look on her face and for the life of her, she could not see how Jessica Brody and her were friends.

Carrie wanted to go back to familiar stomping ground. For now. So she would go back to Langley not as an analyst, but as someone being interrogated. Not ideal, but at least she would be in familiar territory.

"Fine," David said, "if that's what you want, I'll drive you."

* * *

Brody watched as Virgil and Max finished installing the computers in his apartment, so that they could spy on the Mathisons...Quinns or whatever they called themselves. Virgil and Max had went in and illegally installed the cameras, on Brody's dime, as soon as Quinn, Jessica and Chloe left for Andrews.

"You know this shit is illegal, right?" Virgil asked.

"Let me worry about that." Brody told him. Max was testing the laptop equipment for sound. He suddenly looked over at them.

"The husband and some other woman have come in. And whatever they're saying seems heated." Max said.

Brody and Virgil picked up a set of headphones and listened in...

"Calm down, Peter, okay? Carrie explained it. I believe her."

"I don't! And what's more important, Chloe didn't! She barely looked at her own child!" Quinn fumed.

"She was nervous! You could see it. Nervous and overwhelmed. She hasn't seen any of us in years. The baby she left behind is no longer a baby and then the Vice-President of the United States and some guy from the CIA is in her face, talking about 'debriefing'? I think she just wants what happened to her to be in the past so she can concentrate on Chloe and you." Jessica said firmly.

"Okay. Maybe." Quinn allowed. "But I still think she could've come home with us and did this debriefing thing tomorrow. To go there now..."

Brody threw off his headphones and looked down at Virgil and Max. Max was still listening in but Virgil took his off.

"What?" Virgil asked.

"The debriefing is taking place now! And I need to be there!" Brody snapped. Jesus, if he hadn't listened in he would've never known about it!

* * *

Carrie recognized all the analysts and that made her relax for some reason. She knew she was just delaying the inevitable with Quinn and Chloe, but she needed time away from it all to process what was going on here.

David sat near her.

"We're about ready to get started..."

Suddenly, the door opened and Carrie looked up to see Brody walk into the room and sit in the same chair **SHE** sat in, when she first questioned him about his years of captivity. What the fuck was this? Brody was CIA in this reality?

David stared at him.

"Nick. I thought we had an understanding?"

"Saul okayed it. You can check if you don't believe me." Brody said coolly. Carrie noted that the other analysts looked skeptical as well. David clenched his jaw. He didn't suppose having him here would hurt. But he would block any questions that upset Sergeant Mathison here.

"Sergeant Mathison," David began, "thank you for coming in. I know you have a life to get back to. So we'll get started. We just want to ask you some questions about your time in captivity."

Carrie nodded and Elizabeth Chu, a fellow analyst began to speak, when Brody interrupted.

"Liz, I'm sorry. I am, but I think we have to clear the air here." Brody said, looking from Liz to Carrie.

"Sergeant Mathison, I was stationed in Baghdad working out in the field, trying to procure an asset that could help us bring down Abu Nazir. At some point I was captured and held in the same compound as yourself. I actually had the chance to search the place and found no sign of you or any other American. May I ask if you remember Nazir ever moving you to another location?" Brody asked, looking directly into Carrie's eyes.

Carrie stared back. Oh. Now she understood that strange question she had been asked in the debriefing back in Germany.

"No. I don't remember. I was drugged and chained." she answered and then looked at Elizabeth again.

But Brody noted that Carrie seemed to think that would be the end of it and didn't let up.

"You don't remember because you were maybe unconscious?" he asked again.

"Possibly." Carrie answered. She then glanced at David, who had had enough!

"Okay, Nick, let's let Elizabeth get her pertinent questions out..."

"My question isn't pertinent, David?" Brody asked looked from him and back at Carrie.

"Sergeant, I know you've been through a great deal here. But if you could look at this map of the compound and tell me exactly what room you were in, it would help tremendously in figuring out why you did not come home when I was found." he said and opened a folder.

Carrie began to feel unnerved as hell! And suddenly the room felt hot, Carrie tried to stand and then dropped in a heap to the floor.

* * *

Carrie felt pressure against her lips, and opened her eyes to find Brody's face, hovering over hers! She looked around and saw she was lying on a couch and recognized it as one that was in David's office at Langley. She began to try and get up, but Brody's hand on her chest, kept her from doing so.

"Let me up." she demanded weakly.

"You know, Sergeant," Brody began, "you look...amazing for someone who was kept captive for so long. Absolutely stunning. I guess I can understand why Nazir kept you for so long."

Carrie shoved his hand off of her chest and jumped up! What kind of a creep was Brody in this reality anyway? She shook out her hair and then looked around for her hat.

"Where is my hat? And did you kiss me just now?"

"I was giving you mouth-to-mouth, Sergeant. I already have not finding you in that compound on my conscience. I couldn't risk having my few innocent questions, cause your death." Brody said wryly, his eyes never leaving hers. Carrie felt like punching him! He knew. He knew she was never there and he had a lot to gain by proving her some kind of liar.

"I'm going home. I don't feel well." Carrie said and began to move towards the closed door. But Brody moved so that he blocked it.

"Get out of my way!" Carrie snapped.

Brody said nothing to her, but stared at her long and hard. He was doing this all wrong. He would not get the truth out of her going at her like this. She was defensive and it made Brody all the more sure that he was right about this whole thing.

He opened the door for her and Carrie skulked out. David appeared in the hallway.

"Mr. Estes, maybe it was too soon. I just want to go home." Carrie told him. What she needed to do was lay low someplace until she could wake the hell up!

"Okay. One of my aides here will drive you. We'll do this another time, okay?"

Carrie nodded and walked off with David's aide. Once they were around the corner, David walked into his office, slammed the door and faced Brody.

"Saul didn't okay your being here today, did he?"

Brody walked towards David.

"What does it matter?"

"What does it matter?! Tell me you didn't just say that to me!"

"David, Carrie Mathison is the last person to have seen Abu Nazir that we know of. She knows a lot that could help us capture him. The only reason for her to be as evasive as she was in that briefing room, is if she's been turned."

David scoffed!

"Brody, what the hell are you talking about? First you say she was never there and now she's been turned? Well it can't be both and you know that. Just stay away from her, okay?"

Brody turned and walked out of the office. But he wasn't about to 'stay away' from Carrie Mathison. He was going home to watch her like a fucking hawk! And in the end, he was going to clear his name with this agency and prove her to be the liar she was.

Though, he would give her points for kissing well...even while unconscious.

* * *

Back in the real world, Dar Adal had been brought into this newest bit of trouble. He followed Brody as he carried an unconscious Carrie up the White House attic stairs. Behind Dar, was a skeptical Saul and an angry Quinn.

"This is bullshit!" Quinn snapped. "How is Carrie going to be safe hidden in the attic of the White House?"

Brody ignored Quinn and rested Carrie on the bed that had been discreetly placed up there.

"Carrie, I know you can hear me. You're going to be fine. We're going to bring you out of this." Brody told her. He then rose to full height and faced the three men, his eyes on Dar.

"You know what she was hit with? This RD 17?"

Dar nodded.

"There's another name for it. Coma Spray."

"Coma Spray?" Saul repeated in disbelief. "What the fuck is that?"

"Just like it sounds. Our military has been trying to get our hands on it for years, but to no avail. The drug is hard to obtain. The cure is almost impossible." Dar said.

"Which means," Quinn said, keeping an eye on Carrie on the bed, "that we're going to have to go along with what Nazir wants to get Carrie back."

Saul shook his head.

"Carrie wouldn't want us giving into that bastard. Not for her. And we all know it." he said.

Quinn and Dar seemed to be in agreement.

Brody was not.

"That's not a solution. And it's not acceptable." Brody told them.

"What the hell are you going to to, 'Mr. President'? Huh? Seriously, are you going to help Nazir murder everyone in Congress that shows up for your speech? Carrie would be the first to kill you if you did something like that on the count of her." Quinn sneered.

Brody folded his arms.

"Find the cure. If you don't, I'm doing as Nazir asks. I'm not leaving Carrie like this. And Saul, I know you don't want to either." Brody said to him. Saul looked away. Quinn was about to speak when Brody smiled sardonically at him.

"And I know damned well **YOU** don't want to see Carrie stay this way." he said to Quinn knowingly, before looking at Dar again.

"Make it happen, Dar. Get that drug that will wake Carrie up."


	9. Chapter 9

**CARRIE'S REALITY-**

Carrie slowly walked into the home she supposedly shared with Quinn and their daughter Chloe. David's aide had wanted to walk her inside but she told him she would be alright.

The house itself was an old Victorian home with hardwood floors. It wasn't really the type of place Carrie would live in. Then again, she was still thinking like a single woman. She supposed it was fine for a married couple with children.

Quinn came down the stairs and met her in the hallway. Immediately, he sensed something was wrong.

"What happened? You look tired." he noted as he touched her hair.

"I still have to go back," Carrie said, "you were right. It was too overwhelming."

"Okay," Quinn said, not pushing, "but I think you should eat something."

"I'm really tired. I'm just going to go to bed..."

"Not without eating something, Carrie. And I think we need to talk." Quinn said firmly, as he steered her into the kitchen. Carrie didn't fight him, but she didn't like his high handedness either! She struggled to tell herself that she had no choice but to play along here, until whatever Tom Walker did to her, wore off.

The kitchen was pretty spacious and when Quinn opened the refrigerator, Carrie noted the large amount of food.

"Wow. Do Chloe and you always eat so much?" she asked, sitting on a counter stool. Quinn eyed her.

"This food was for your homecoming celebration. The one you ditched." he said quietly, his eyes holding hers. Carrie didn't like his tone. Why did she have to take shit while she was in this 'whatever' state?

"Quinn, I explained that..."

"Why are you calling me by my last name? I feel like you're staring right through me."

"Okay, okay. Calm down...Peter...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't at my homecoming. I told you I just wanted to get the debriefing over with. And that was a mistake." Carrie told him. Quinn set down a plate with foil on it.

"No. I'm sorry. You've been through hell. And I brought you in here to fix you a plate of food and listen to whatever you have to say. I figured maybe you might want to talk about what happened at Langley." Quinn said.

Meanwhile, Brody returned to his home and found Virgil listening in. He took off his headphones when he saw him.

"Anything?" Brody asked, tossing his keys on a table.

"The husband is bitching Sergeant Mathison out for not being at the homecoming for her. But there's something else." Virgil warned.

"What?" Brody asked.

"The husband and that woman that was there earlier, the brunette, have had something going while Mathison had been fighting for her country. Apparently the little girl is quite fond of her as well." Virgil said.

Brody rolled up his shirt sleeves and sat down in front of the monitors. He then looked at Virgil.

"What's the brunette's name?"

"Jessica Lazaro. She's hot." Virgil grinned.

"Yeah, well, follow her. Proving that 'Sergeant Cuteness' here, is lying about being in Nazir's clutches, is going to prove harder than I expected." Brody said wryly, picking up the headphones.

Virgil didn't move and Brody looked at him.

"What?"

"Did it ever occur to you that there's nothing to prove? Jesus, Brody, you just missed her is all. Nazir is a crafty bastard. She probably was moved someplace else or there was a secret room you didn't know about. You've got to stop taking this so personally."

"I'll stop taking it personally, when Estes stops punishing me for it! I've been on desk duty ever since we went back to that compound and found nothing! Then come to find out Nazir moves back there, making the agency look stupid...I need to take Nazir down. And Sergeant Cuteness here, knows something! I'm getting it out of her, however I have to! Now follow Jessica Lazaro! If I have to fuck the answers I need out of Mathisons's friends, family or even **PETS** , I'll do it!" Brody snapped.

"Well...let's hope you don't have to go the bestial route." Virgil said lightly, before getting up and leaving Brody's apartment. Brody stared after Virgil for a moment, before putting the headphones back on. He planned to watch this couple until he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

* * *

Two things occurred to Carrie, as she stood in the shower.

One: she had no idea what Quinn did for a living here! He wasn't CIA. He wasn't an assassin(hopefully) and yet she could not very well ask him. How does a wife forget what her husband did for a living?

And two: if Brody was 'her', then he already had cameras in this house. They were probably installed when Quinn and Chloe left for Andrews to welcome her home. Carrie closed her eyes as the hot water sprayed down on her, and tried to visualize where the cameras would be in this house. Because if she just started searching for them, they would know she knew, and they'd want to know **HOW** she knew.

Or at least Brody would.

Carrie exited the shower, keeping in mind that she was being watched, but oddly not caring. She slowly toweled off then put on a short, pink robe. She towel dried her hair then opened the door to the bathroom.

The bedroom was empty and Carrie eyed the bed, then carefully looked around, now suspecting the camera was inside of the ceiling lights. She then walked to a mirror and ran her hands through her damp hair, before exiting the bedroom in search of Quinn and Chloe.

She found Quinn in Chloe's room. They were working on some kind of project. From where Carrie was standing, it looked as if they were trying to build some kind of house.

"What's going on?" Carrie asked, puzzled.

"Daddy is helping me with my architecture project." Chloe said proudly. Carrie moved closer and peered down at it. Yes, it looked like small scale version of this house. She looked over at Quinn.

"You did her project for her?" she asked innocently. Chloe raised a brow and looked up at Quinn, who coughed.

"Carrie, there is a lot you don't know about our daughter. She is eight but not in third grade."

"I'm in high school, actually," Chloe sniffed, "and Daddy did not help me build this project, even though I know Mrs. Best will think so."

Carrie stared at her 'daughter'.

"You're eight but in high school? With high school boys?"

"Carrie, she's in a special, advanced school. The kids are about her age. They just test at a higher level."

Carrie looked from Quinn to Chloe. She had some kind of girl genius child? Wow. She looked back at Quinn.

"Well if she can do the work, why would a teacher think you'd do it for her?"

Quinn smiled patiently at her.

"Because I'm an architect?" he said slowly. Carrie looked away in embarrassment. No, she would not have guessed that. But at least she got her answer on what Quinn did for a living!

On his end, Brody was making notes on a pad.

 _ **Doesn't know that child is a genius. That is possible.**_

 _ **Doesn't know that the husband is an architect? Was one when they married. Strange.**_

Meanwhile, Carrie stared down at the miniature house and looked at Chloe.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"No, Mom. Just get some rest and feel better." Chloe said sincerely. Carrie smiled and walked over to her, giving her a small hug.

"I'm going to take your advice, honey. I am going to bed. Goodnight. I love this house. I hope you get an A++++." Carrie said, letting go of her and looking at Quinn.

"Good night." she said to him and left the room. Brody grinned from his end! What the fuck was this? Did Sergeant Cuteness just miss the looks her husband was giving her? He's longing for reunion sex. Maybe she was being discreet in front of the child.

Brody leaned back and sipped a beer, as Carrie returned to the bedroom. Moments later, Quinn entered and closed the door. Brody raised a brow. Now things were probably going to get interesting.

Carrie blew dry her hair while sitting in front of the vanity. When she was done, she saw Quinn staring at her from the bed. She had not been paying a lot of attention to him, so she never even saw him get into bed. But she suspected he had on nothing under the covers.

Carrie had to think long and hard about this, since to be honest, while Quinn was cute, he was a little too remote and secretive, in the real world, for her tastes.

Then again, she had been sprayed by some chemical that had her in this state. Why not do what she ordinarily would not do? It's not like anyone would know except for her. She stood up and turned to face him. As Carrie stared at him, she thought about Brody. Brody who wasn't so lovable in this reality. Brody who she decided, was going to get a show tonight!

It's not like she didn't understand his desperation. It looked as if he had left her to rot in Abu Nazir's compound, when in fact she had never been there. But he was so not **HER** Brody, that it made Carrie feel mean towards him. It made her eager to hurry up and get out of this dream state and get back to her real Brody.

Quinn got out of bed, naked and walked over to her.

"If this is too soon, tell me and nothing has to happen. But I've missed you. And I didn't realize how much I missed you until I saw you walking towards me off of that plane." he whispered to her.

On Brody's end, he shook his head!

"He's fucking your friend, Sergeant Cuteness, don't let him! Don't let him!" he yelled to the laptop screen, shaking his head.

Carrie untied her robe and let it drop to the ground. Quinn swallowed, drinking in her naked beauty. Carrie could see the needful urge in Quinn's eyes and she did not resist as Quinn sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Carrie by her waist towards him. She quickly speared herself upon Quinn's swollen member, her knees tracing his.

Carrie then ensnared her hands in Quinn's hair, leaning back slightly while Quinn cupped her buttocks for leverage. They soon began an earthy and ruthless swiveling like tempo. Quinn moved his hips in a fury, while simultaneously attempting to snag one of Carrie's bobbing breasts between his lips.

It was as Quinn captured a nipple in his mouth, that Carrie deliberately looked up and right into the camera! She pulled one of her hands out of Quinn's hair and gave it the middle finger!

Brody slowly took off the earphones and stood up. Sergeant Cuteness looked **RIGHT AT HIM**! She knew where that camera was! She had known it was there! And her fucking body looked hotter than hell! Worse yet, she didn't have a mark on her! _Chained my ass, Brody thought!_

This was bullshit.

Brody stared at Carrie, who was still staring at him via the camera, while continuing to ride Quinn earnestly for several long moments before Quinn found his release, the magnitude and fierceness of it, surprising the both of them.

When they were spent and now lying in bed, Carrie rested her head on Quinn's chest, his engorged manhood still inside of her. She lifted her head slightly to stare up into the camera again, before focusing on Quinn.

"I know that this must seem weird." Carrie said softly.

"Weird?" Quinn asked. His hands had been playing with her hair.

"Yes. I mean I've been gone all of this time."

"You don't remember? What it was like before you left for Iraq?" Quinn questioned her. Carrie felt as if she had stepped into some kind of trap here.

"It was so long ago..."

"You had had Chloe and didn't feel like making love with me. This was not weird, Carrie, it was beautiful."

"Jesus!" Brody scoffed, sipping his beer again. He then turned off the monitors for the night. He wasn't learning anything about Abu Nazir from watching this. But he was learning more about Carrie Mathison. And he now had a different plan of action with regards to her.

* * *

The next morning, Carrie awoke and found a note from Quinn telling her to sleep in and that he would take Chloe to school. She smiled at it, for some reason, and got up, showered and dressed. She found a peach tee-shirt with short sleeves and jeans. Carrie suspected she would be hearing from Maggie and her father today, and she sighed at having to remember the same lie about being held as a 'sex slave'. One of these days, something was going to trip her up.

The doorbell rang and Carrie moved towards the door, then looked out of the peephole. Oh Christ...

She slowly opened it to Brody. He was carrying a box of donuts.

"Morning, Sergeant Cuteness. Can I come in? I am carrying a peace offering." he smiled. Carrie noted that the sun made his hair look even redder.

"Sergeant Cuteness? What are you doing here?" Carrie said. She did not let him in.

"I thought I'd come and get my camera." Brody said bluntly.

"Get them all out of here or I'm reporting you." Carrie said, stepping aside to let him in.

Brody walked in and set the box of donuts down. He didn't speak until she closed the door.

"You're reporting me? For what? Putting on a sex show for me?"

Carrie folded her arms but said nothing.

"Oh nothing to say?" he asked sarcastically.

Carrie shrugged.

"I don't know what you want from me. We just probably missed seeing one another at Nazir's compound. I don't know what else you want me to say. I don't know what you expect to find by bugging my home."

Brody's expression softened and he walked right up to her.

"Peace of mind. It was bad enough being captured by Nazir, being allowed to leave, taking a team back there and finding nothing. But to find out that I left someone behind. A woman. A Marine! I can't accept that. There has to be more to this. More that either you don't realize or..."

"Or I do realize it and I'm hiding something? Because I've been turned, right?" Carrie asked.

"I wouldn't have left you there if I had seen you. I didn't see you. And I don't think I saw you, because I don't think you were there." Brody told her matter-of-factly.

It was as he said those words, that the door slammed open and two men in masks burst in with guns!

"Oh my God!" Carrie screamed and tried to run towards the stairs! But one of the men caught her by the hair and picked her up! Brody was put in a chokehold.

"What do you want?!" Brody hissed.

"Let of of me!" Carrie yelled.

"We're going to take a little ride!" the man that was holding Brody said. The man that had Carrie pushed her out of the door and towards a van. The houses on the block were spaced relatively far away from one another, so it did not appear as if anyone saw what was happening, as Carrie was forced into the back of the van.

Meanwhile, inside, Virgil took off his mask and looked at Brody, who he still had in a headlock.

"You're sure you want to go the 'kidnapping route'?" he asked.

"She knows the cameras are here, somehow. I'm going to have to get her away from her friends and family if I'm ever going to find out the truth." Brody said firmly. "This is going to work. Now punch me and let's get going."


	10. Chapter 10

**BACK IN THE REAL WORLD-**

While Dar Adal was working on getting the antidote to the 'coma spray', a nurse with CIA connections was watching over Carrie, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Sandy Bachman had already begun as Brody's Chief-Of-Staff, with Brody being unaware of his CIA connections in general. Sandy assumed that Vice-President Lockhart might let that slip one of these days...

Sandy had also gotten Quinn reinstated with the Secret Service, and he immediately went to work on finding out how Roya Hammad got into the White House wearing an explosive vest that should have been discovered. Saul and David were working on getting a cover story out as to the how and why Tom Walker's dead body was found in a sewer.

And of course, they also had to fend off the Vice-President's questions...

Vice-President Lockhart sat in David's office while Saul stood near the window.

"Do you want to explain why Sandy Bachman is really working in the White House? And no bullshit, David! Because there is a world of difference between being out in the field and working for the president in that capacity. I didn't even know Sandy had the required experience to do the job. He does, doesn't he?" Lockhart asked crossly.

"Mr. Vice-President," David began, "Roya Hammad managed to make two appointments to see the president for interviews. We have just learned that she may have ties to Abu Nazir. Someone has to make sure that the President is better protected than he is."

Vice-President Lockhart folded his arms.

"Yes, I heard about that. See I heard that there was more to the accidental discharge thing than most people realize. I heard Roya Hammad was shot. Now clearly she was promised something to keep quiet..."

Saul rolled his eyes! He decided to tell half the truth, even though it would piss David off.

"She's dead, Mr. Vice-President. The wound was fatal. A story about her dying of aneurysm will be released any day. The few people that saw her being carried out of the president's office by the Secret Service, do not know that she is actually dead. They were told she was gravely wounded." Saul told him.

"Christ!" Lockhart hissed. "We can't have this kind of thing going on! The president will look weak! I'll look weak!"

David nodded.

"Sandy knows what he's doing. He'll be able to ferret out the trouble. But the point is, someone like her should never have been within fifty feet of the president. God knows what she could have done to him." David said.

"I'll say!" Lockhart huffed. "Well, alright. I actually feel better knowing he's there. But there is something else: the First Lady came to see me. She seems to feel that something could possibly be going on between Carrie Mathison and the president. Tell me she's just imagining things?"

"'Something' might have developed between them when Carrie took it upon herself to investigate him." David allowed.

"What do you mean she 'took it upon herself'? Why would she do that?" Lockhart asked.

"Carrie," Saul said, "seemed to believe that Brody was not what he seemed. That it was possible that he had been turned during his time in captivity."

"But there was nothing to it," David lied, "and Carrie at some point, stopped trying to find information with regards to President Brody and Nazir, and began to obsess over him. At one point, President Brody called us to rein her in. He wanted his marriage and family, not her."

Lockhart didn't even blink.

"He didn't want her? And yet she is his Terrorism Advisor. Why?" he asked sharply. He didn't like anything he was hearing. And each answer just brought more questions to mind.

"She's the Terrorism Advisor because Carrie has the most contacts and has developed numerous sources, with regards to locating Abu Nazir." David explained.

"I get that. What I don't get is the **WHY**? The president can just consult someone at Homeland Security if he wants information or updates on Nazir. Did you find out that Roya had a connection before she was shot? I mean if that's the case then Ms. Mathison should have kept her the hell out of that office!" Lockhart fumed.

"That is the chief-of-staff's job, Mr. Vice-President," Saul said, backing him off, "and while we're on the topic, what the hell is going on in that administration? Are Walden's people really that ignorant that they just let random people in to see the president? Somehow, I don't think the late president would've had to suffer journalists with possible terrorist connections."

Lockhart sighed. He still didn't think he was being told the whole story here. But he began to see the repercussions of a poorly managed White House, causing blowback on him when he ran after Brody's term was over.

"Alright. I'm going to back off. For now. But the First Lady is suspicious. If you do nothing else, send in another 'Terrorism Advisor' for the president. Just to keep the peace." Lockhart advised them. David nodded and Saul said nothing as Vice-President Lockhart left David's office. David closed the door after him and looked at Saul.

"Well?" he asked.

"I think that Lockhart didn't buy any of it. But I also think he can see himself in that Oval Office, probably sooner than later. So he's willing to let some things go." Saul said.

"Yeah, I know. Let's just hope Dar's people can get that antidote here before Nazir makes contact with the president again." David said.

"You know what I'd really like? If Carrie bucked the odds and just woke up anyway." Saul said wistfully.

"You never know with her. That might very well happen." David said.

* * *

First Lady Jessica Brody could not even begin to enjoy the event she was hosting that day.

It was an event for the children of veterans, who liked to cook and share special dishes. And Brody said he would pay a visit during his work day. It was important that he did, being a former Marine. Plus, many of the veterans and their wives, really wanted to catch a glimpse of the president.

Another thing stressing her out, was that she was unsure as to whether she had made the right call, in offering former First Lady, Cynthia Walden, a place by her side during this event. This wasn't an occasion that would really go mainstream and would probably only be seen at the White House website.

But there had been a small piece in the Washington Times about Cynthia and herself co-hosting the event, and just reading it made Jessica doubt herself. Yes, she had wanted to be kind, but maybe asking Cynthia to be by her side, was keeping her from making her mark as First Lady? William Walden was dead. Nothing could change that. And for the brief time that Cynthia Walden had been First Lady, she had enjoyed average popularity, while Jessica herself received high marks. People always liked comparing her to Jackie Kennedy, which meant in her mind, that she didn't really need Cynthia, did she?

But before she could even ponder that for an extensive amount of time, Jessica caught sight of the Secret Service Agent that had discharged his weapon in this house! His name was 'Quinn', she remembered.

She had been looking over one of the tables with one of the servants, when she caught sight of him, cutting through the room to get to some other location. And he had the nerve to swipe a couple of crackers sitting on a table and toss them into his mouth! Jessica discreetly excused herself and began following him until she finally called out his name.

"Mr. Quinn!"

Quinn turned around and looked into the eyes of the First Lady, who looked lovely in a fuschia, short sleeved dress. One side of her short, dark hair was tucked behind an ear.

"Mrs. Brody." Quinn replied, swallowing the crackers he had been chewing on.

"I'm sorry...was I mistaken?"

"About?" Quinn asked.

"I am almost sure that my husband told me that **YOU** were the one that had fired that weapon. And he told me you had been let go. And now here you are. Why?" Jessica demanded to know.

Sandy Bachman arrived in the nick of time. Quinn's eyes met his and he turned and walked off. Jessica tuned to face Sandy.

"I am assuming that Mr. Quinn just walked away from me, because he's leaving you to explain his presence in this house? Why is he back here?"

"Mrs. Brody, I don't want you to worry about this. Just enjoy your event today and make the president proud."

"What? Enjoy the event? There is a gun wielding Secret Service agent running loose around here! Children will be around..." Jessica began, then saw a few workers look over at them curiously. Sandy slipped an arm around Jessica's waist and steered her into the neighboring Red Room, which was empty. Jessica did not struggle against Sandy's proprietary hold around her middle, and only when Sandy glanced back in the hallway and saw no one there, did he let go of her and address her concerns.

"Mrs. Brody, the President was wrong about which agent fired the gun. The mistake was rectified. The proper agent was dismissed." Sandy told her solemnly.

Jessica raised a brow.

"The President seemed pretty sure that Mr. Quinn was the culprit."

"He was wrong. Now please trust and believe that I am here to make sure that things like 'agents discharging weapons' and other mistakes, do not happen in this White House on a regular basis."

Jessica sighed, then nodded. Sandy rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Just make the president proud today. It looks like a lovely event." Sandy said sincerely. Jessica smiled at him, just as Quinn lurked by the doorway. He moved out of sight as Jessica left the room. Once she was back in the State Dining Room, Quinn entered the Red Room.

"You're playing with fire, my friend." Quinn said sardonically. Sandy eyed him.

"Not everyone is hot for bi-polar blondes. And God help all of us if the First Lady finds out that Carrie is under this roof for any reason. Even a coma." Sandy told him. His phone suddenly buzzed and Sandy looked at it puzzled.

"What is it?"

"Major Foster is here to meet with the president. This visit is unexpected. I don't like unexpected visits." Sandy griped. He then looked at Quinn.

"Anything on the video?" he asked him. Quinn nodded.

"Yeah. We have the guard the clearly looked the other way. I was actually taking a break from interrogation."

"What did he have to say?" Sandy asked.

"He claims Roya Hammad seduced him into letting him in with the vest. But something about the story just doesn't seem right. I have to update David and Saul. We're looking into the guard's background now."

Sandy nodded, then glanced at his phone again.

"Well keep me posted." Sandy said, walking out of the Red Room. Major Craig Foster had been a big supporter of the Walden/Brody ticket. Hopefully this was a friendly visit.

Unfortunately, Sandy's hopes would be wrong.

* * *

"You know where Abu Nazir is at this moment?" Brody asked in disbelief. Major Foster smiled at him.

"We have a drone over his compound now. We have ascertained that he is inside, along with other members of his family."

"Other members of his family?" Brody asked, feeling uneasy. Sandy folded his arms. He knew what Brody was thinking. Blowing Nazir away could eviscerate all hope of Carrie getting the drug she needed, if Dar was not successful in getting that antidote.

"Yes. One of his family members graduated from some school someplace. They're holding a celebration." Major Foster said casually.

"Major," Brody said in a controlled tone, "I'll meet you in the war room in about ten minutes."

Major Foster nodded in response.

"Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Bachman." the Major said before leaving the office. Once the door was closed, Brody turned to Sandy.

"Sandy, I know we have not known one another long. But I am trusting you, because Andrew brought you in here." Brody told him. Sandy said nothing to that. He had put out a lot of misinformation in the right places, to downplay his CIA connections. The president was under the impression that the Vice-President had brought him in, not David Estes. That worked for him.

"Anything you need, Mr. President. Just ask." Sandy told him.

"Go down to the War Room and make up an excuse for me. I plan to be down there but I just need to make a phone call first." Brody told him.

"Sir, this is Abu Nazir. My understanding is that he was responsible for your captivity. We have a chance to get him for good. That will play well with the voters and make you look like a strong leader. Even stronger than William Walden." Sandy said bluntly.

"I understand all of that. Just run interference? Let Major Foster know I will be right down but something delayed me. Something with the First Lady, alright?" Brody asked, his patience thinning. Sandy sensed that and nodded.

"I'll go down there right now, Mr. President." Sandy said, leaving the room. Once he was gone, Brody walked over to this desk, picked up his phone and asked the operator for a secure line. In minutes, he was speaking to David.

"I don't have a lot of time here. I've just been informed that a drone has found Abu Nazir at some family celebration. Where are we on the antidote for Carrie?" Brody asked tersely.

On his end, David sat ramrod straight up in his chair!

"Mr. President, **WE** would know if Nazir had been found in any capacity. Who gave you this intel?"

"Major Foster. I doubt his information is shoddy."

"I am the Deputy Secretary of the CIA, Mr. President. We know nothing about this..."

"You know nothing about this, because Carrie knows everything! And she's in a fucking coma! Now I want to blow him the hell away but not if your guy can't come up with the antidote! Now I'm giving you a heads up here: tell me that we can wake Carrie up without Nazir?" Brody asked.

"I can promise you, that you won't have to follow through with Nazir's threats to force you to murder the members of the United States Congress." David said coolly.

"What the fuck does that mean?!" Brody snapped.

"It means that Carrie wouldn't want you to give in to Nazir-even for her. And I would tell you to blow him away-but I am doubting the veracity of your intel...even if it does come from Major Foster, who I know quite well." David said.

"Unfucking believable. Let me ask you this, Estes: are you planning on saving Carrie at all here? Or are you so desperate to see me out of this White House, that you'd just let her die?"

"That is uncalled for, Brody..."

"It's Mr. President, to you, Estes! And I think I know how I'm going to handle this. Thanks for nothing." Brody said, hanging up. Estes had told him that making sure that Congress didn't die, was something they would make sure of, no matter what. Brody took that to mean the CIA was not concerned over whether Carrie ever woke up, or whether he remained president or not.

And Estes and his thugs planned to make sure that he didn't stay president, that was for sure!

Brody walked out of the office and headed towards the War Room, when Jessica appeared before him!

"Darling, the veterans event is about to take place now. You promised!" Jessica almost begged.

"Honey, I have something to take care of that will only take a few moments. I'll be right in. I promise." he said, giving her a quick kiss on the mouth, before hurrying off, followed by two Secret Service agents. Jessica stared after him. She was well satisfied that her husband would not let her down on this matter. But she could also see that something was taking place right now.

Jessica bit her lip and turned and walked off the opposite way. It would do no good to wonder about it. Brody wouldn't tell her about it anyway.

* * *

Brody walked into the War Room and everyone at the table stood.

"Keep your seats. The strike is off." he announced. Sandy glanced at Major Foster, who looked shocked and livid...and his tone tried not to betray such.

"Mr. President, with all due respect, why would you do this? We have a chance to get Abu Nazir for good. The man kept you in captivity for years..."

"Actually, I spoke with David Estes just now. He doesn't know anything about Nazir being found. He also thinks the intel is faulty. So until **HE** is satisfied that he is in that compound-no drone strike." Brody said, blaming everything on Estes. Sandy pursed his lips. David would be very interested to hear how he was being thrown under the bus here. And he had no doubts, that Major Foster would be paying him a visit soon.

Major Foster eyed Brody.

"You called the Deputy Chief after we spoke? I'm sorry, wasn't **MY** word good enough?"

Brody licked his lips. He hadn't expected to keep arguing the point here and he could feel annoyance creeping in to his tone.

"I just told you that no one at the CIA knows anything about Nazir being 'found' someplace. Why are you still questioning me?"

"Because I think it is odd that you felt you needed clarification. With all due respect, Mr. President, the late President Walden would not have 'waited'. He would have believed military intel and acted." Major Foster said in a huffy manner.

Brody walked up to Major Foster until he was inches from his face.

"There are many of us here, that are very familiar with the late president's habit of just bombing places and innocent people...children, just to strike a target that was nowhere in the vicinity. So yes, Major, on that score I am **NOT** William Walden." Brody said and began to walk out. Everyone at the table quickly stood up and Sandy hurried after Brody. He didn't even have to look back into the room to know that President Nicholas Brody had made a new enemy of Major Craig Foster.

Meanwhile, in the attic of the White House, the nurse caring for Carrie Mathison, was busy recording Carrie's vitals on a clipboard. As she turned away for a second, she missed one of Carrie's hands, folding and unfolding-a clear sign that antidote or not antidote, Carrie Mathison was fighting to return to the real world.


	11. Chapter 11

**CARRIE'S REALITY-**

It was the familiar sound of Max's voice inside the van, that revealed to Carrie that Brody had set up this 'abduction' using Virgil and Max.

She and Brody were sitting with their backs to one another, their hands bound to each other. Carrie tried to quell her anger at Brody. What a lame ass technique! Was he any good as a CIA analyst? At all? If he technically was living her life, then he should be as good as she was!

But she also had to tell herself, that Brody didn't know she knew his tricks of the trade. And he didn't know that she recognized Virgil and Max, even under their masks.

"Are you okay?" Brody whispered to her. "What do you think they want?"

Facing away from him, Carrie rolled her eyes! But she decided to play her part.

"I don't know! I mean they came to my house, right? Maybe my husband is in to something I don't know about!" Carrie whispered fiercely. Brody raised a brow. It never occurred to him that she would think that her husband was responsible for this whole deal. He had wanted her to think that maybe this concerned Abu Nazir.

Then again, maybe her reaction was just more proof that she had not been in the compound.

Or, she knew it might be about Nazir and was throwing the blame on her husband. Brody realized he wouldn't know anything until they got to the location and were 'interrogated' by Virgil and Max.

"Do you really think this is about your husband?" Brody whispered back.

"You should know! You're with the CIA...don't you all look into everyone's backgrounds?" Carrie asked.

"Shut up back there!" Virgil yelled out. There was a partition between the back of the van and the front, and Max closed it, so that he and Virgil could drive to the secret location mask free. If anyone driving by saw them on the road wearing ski masks, someone was liable to call the police or something!

Meanwhile, Carrie craned her head to look over at the back door window. They were on the highway! Jesus! How far away was this CIA site? The few times Carrie had run this game on an asset she was trying to procure, the actually interrogation site was no more than 10-15 minutes away.

But she said nothing about that and began to strain against the rope she was tied to Brody with.

"Hey!" Brody whispered. "The ropes are just too tight. We have no choice but to just wait this out and see where they take us!"

"I don't agree. I think we should make our way to the back door here and fling ourselves out."

"Hey! Sergeant Cuteness, we're on the highway. We'll be run over!"

"First of all, stop calling me that!"

"What?" Brody asked with feigned innocence. "Sergeant?"

"Just shut up!" Carrie hissed.

"Okay, look, I think these people just want to ask some questions. Probably of you. I mean they did come to **YOUR** house. But while we're on the way to wherever, why don't you tell me again where you were in Nazir's compound?" Brody asked calmly.

"I already told you, I don't remember! You know, you don't seem very scared or upset by this. Why?" Carrie asked, hoping he would trip himself up in someway.

"I was kidnapped by Abu Nazir. I can handle a couple of thugs."

"How do you know they're thugs? For all we know they're some of Nazir's men." Carrie countered. Brody raised a brow.

"You know suddenly I'm thinking that **YOU** don't seem very upset or scared either, why?"

Carrie smiled.

"I was kidnapped by Abu Nazir too. Once you've been through that, something like this doesn't bother you."

Brody didn't respond to that. But he decided to ask another question.

"How did you know about the camera? How did you know where it was exactly?"

"You mean the one you put in my bedroom?"

"Yes. And back at the house you indicated that you knew there were more than just that one. How did you know that? Are in contact with one of Nazir's men? Is this person watching your back and they told you what we did?" Brody asked.

What was she supposed to say to that, Carrie thought. That she knew because this same series of events happened in another reality? One in which Brody was her, and she was Brody?

"Are you really that concerned about that **NOW**? We may not return to our loved ones alive." Carrie reminded him.

"I don't have any 'loved ones', so no, Cuteness, I'm not worried about it." Brody told her matter-of-factly. Carrie raised a brow. Brody had no one here? Surely there was...

She thought about her own life. With the exception of her father, sister and nieces, she had no one either.

"I told you not to call me that." Carrie reminded him, but this time with less rancor.

"What? Sergeant? Did I call you 'Sergeant'? No." Brody reminded her.

"Is there **ANYTHING** that I can do, to get you to call me Sergeant Mathison or Carrie? Maybe if I **TRY** and remember more about my time with Nazir..."

"No. I like Cuteness better than Sergeant Cuteness. It's shorter." Brody said.

"Oh my God! You are unbelievable!" Carrie said, emitting an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah well if you keep up the tirade there, I'm going to call you 'Mrs. Brody' instead of 'Cuteness'. Which will it be?" Brody grinned.

"I guess 'Cuteness' wins." Carrie said between gritted teeth.

* * *

It would be another hour before they reached their 'destination'. And when they did, Carrie was livid!

The kidnapping spot was her family cabin! What the fuck! Virgil and Max put their masks back on, got out and opened the back of the van. Virgil got in and untied them, while Max held a gun on the both of them, until they climbed out.

"Where is this place?" Brody asked. But Carrie had had MORE than enough by now! This was bullshit! Her family cabin was being used by the CIA as some kind of fake kidnapping site? Carrie was not about to go along with any of this, any longer!

"'This place', is my cabin! A cabin that belongs to **MY** family! So I don't know what this bullshit is..."

Virgil and Max looked at one another, then took off their masks. This woman was obviously batshit crazy so it wouldn't matter is she saw their faces or not.

"Errr," Max began, "I think you're mistaken, ma'am..."

"Shut up, Max! I don't want to hear anything from Virgil or you! I'm going inside to make sure that everything that is supposed to be in there, **IS** in there! And if any of you have stolen anything, there is going to be hell to pay!" Carrie huffed as she moved past them, hurried up the steps into the cabin.

Meanwhile, Brody stared at Virgil and Max accusingly!

"Did you all forget to tell me that she knew the two of you?" Brody asked in a no nonsense manner.

"I don't know her at all!" Virgil protested. "I have never seen Carrie Mathison before she returned from being Nazir's prisoner, I swear to fucking God! I'll take a polygraph on that!"

"You sure as hell will!" Brody yelled, then looked at Max.

"You have something to say for yourself?" he asked him. But Max backed back.

"I don't know her. At all. I don't know how she could possibly know us." he answered quietly.

Brody began to pace and Virgil spoke.

"Nick, you said she knew where the cameras are. It's possible she knows our names and a lot of other shit too. I don't know how though." Virgil said.

Brody stopped pacing.

"There's a been a breach. There has to have been one. And I can't go to Estes with this because he'll assume I am the breach! I'm going in to talk to her. Just wait out here." Brody said and walked off towards the cabin steps. He hurried up them and opened the door.

Carrie was sitting on a couch with her head in her hands. Brody slowly sat down next to her and began to rub her back.

"Tell me why you think this cabin is yours?" he asked softly. But Carrie was deep in thought. She might never come out of whatever this was, and she had to survive. Brody was so desperate to prove that she had not been Nazir's hostage, while he had been, that he had trumped up this kidnapping plot.

Carrie realized she had to tell him something. Something that might get him to back off. She had to get through this hallucination somehow...

Hallucination?

Carrie lifted her head and looked at Brody.

"I remember you being there, Agent Brody. But not for the reasons you think. Abu Nazir kept me on drugs that I didn't realize until shortly before I was found, that I was even on! I was shown pictures of you, Virgil, Max, David Estes...even Saul Berenson."

Brody stopped rubbing her back.

"You know about Saul?"

"I was shown pictures of him...and you...everyone I mentioned. I was shown pictures of this cabin and told it was mine. But worse yet, I began to live a life where I thought all of you were in it. Only I was the CIA agent! You were the Marine that had been captured and kept prisoner... **YOU** were married to my friend Jessica! So you see, I am totally fucked up here! I keep thinking this is some bad dream I'm going to wake up from!"

Brody's jaw clenched as he stared at her. He had never known of Nazir to use that type of torture technique. Ever. But he could not explain how Carrie Mathison knew so much about everything. And what she was essentially telling him, is that she knew everything because she had actually lived it! As Nazir's prisoner and pawn. But to what end? And again, how did Nazir find out all of these things?

If he took this to Estes, he would think that Brody himself talked or gave up this information. No. He would have to find out how Nazir obtained all of this information, that he fed into Carrie Mathison's head, on his own. And quietly.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" he asked softly. Carrie looked at him, then looked away.

"What?" he asked.

"Well...we...we were lovers. But that's beside the point."

"I can see that. That's about the only thing I can see." Brody said casually. Carrie rolled her eyes and stood up.

"So now what?" she asked him. But she knew. Brody could not take this to Estes, because then they would think there had been a breach within the CIA. And since Brody was actually captured by Nazir at some point, and then let go, they would think it was him. She was sorry to complicate his life even further, but he was complicating this dream state she was in. And she couldn't deal with Quinn, Chloe and him.

What Brody said next, was not quite what she was expecting.

"This was done to you for a reason. And soon, you'll probably be contacted by someone from Nazir's cell. When they do, chances are they will ask you to begin a relationship with me. The **REAL** me." Brody informed her.

"Oh. I suppose that makes sense. I guess if that happens..."

"It will. Someone within the CIA fed Nazir all of this information for him to brainwash you with. You were with men that you thought were your husband and myself for a reason. Someone has given a terrorist information about the CIA, knowing that the logical person that will be blamed for this, is me. We just have to wait for someone to contact you."

What Brody was saying made sense, sort of. Only he seemed to be forgetting one thing: she had told him that she was drugged. All of this was done 'against her will'. So why would anyone from Nazir's terrorist cell think that she'd suddenly be up for being a traitor? Clearly, Brody wasn't thinking this thing through.

Then again, he didn't seem to be as good an analyst as she was anyway.

"Okay. Well I suppose we'll have to make this 'affair' we're supposed to be having, look real." she allowed.

Oh it will be 'real', Cuteness, you just wait! Brody thought. He refrained from smiling at the idea of it. He would fantasize about the two of them later on.

"Let's get you back home, Sergeant Mathison." Brody said in a somber tone. Carrie's face registered brief surprise that for once, he was calling her by her rightful name. She took that to mean that her story had worked on him and that until she woke up again in her rightful mind and reality, Carrie would not have to worry about answering a bunch of questions from Nicholas Brody that weren't answerable.

* * *

Not much was said in the 'kidnapping van', on the way back to Carrie's house. She was dropped off and apparently, none of the neighbors had noticed the 'abduction' or if they did, they didn't care enough to report it to the police.

Carrie got out of the van, then stopped to look back at Brody.

"Are you coming in to take the cameras out?"

"No, Cuteness, sorry. After what you told me, I think they should stay in." he answered calmly.

"Are you kidding me?! What you're doing is illegal! I can't have sex with my husband with cameras..."

"Then don't have sex with him. Besides, we need to know when someone from Nazir's cell will call. The sooner we find out why he did what he did to you, the sooner your life can go back to normal." Brody told her.

Carrie glared at him. Brody stared back. Virgil and Max watched from the front seat. Finally, Brody broke the silence.

"I don't suppose I can have a kiss?" he asked.

"Fuck you!" Carrie snapped and turned to walk up the front walk of the house. The goddamned door was still wide open! But if someone had broken in, Carrie honestly felt more up to dealing with a random burglar than Brody and his CIA crap right now. She walked in and slammed the door closed.

Brody watched door bang shut, then turned to Virgil and Max.

"Back to my place." he instructed them.

"What the hell happened back there? How does she know us?" Virgil asked as he began to drive.

"She told me a story about being given a hallucinogenic drug and fed information about all of us. There is something about it I'm not buying. I just don't know why yet." Brody said grimly.

"So the cameras stay?" Max asked.

"I'll have to get Saul to help me on that one. But yes, the cameras stay. The cameras stay until I find out just what Sergeant Cuteness's real story is." Brody told them.

Meanwhile, Carrie essentially knew where most of the cameras were. She also knew she had to get them down before Brody, Virgil and Max returned to Brody's place to continue to watch her.

She had needed a step ladder to reach a few if them and take them out. She found a cardboard box and put the damning spyware in it, carrying each one from room to room, making the bedroom she shared with Quinn last. She stared up at the light it was hidden in, then turned and left the room. She was going to leave that one-for kicks.

Carrie sighed as she left the house with the box and headed out towards the garage. Once there, she bent down and hid the cameras behind several other boxes, before raising back to full height and drumming her fingers on a work table. She could not help but think about all the things that were odd in this dream state she was in.

One, she and Brody's roles had reversed.

Two, she was married to Quinn and they had a daughter.

Three, she had not seen Saul yet.

Four, Brody's actual wife, Jessica, was supposedly her friend and...

Carrie frowned. Something else had been odd. Something she had seen at Andrews, but oddly, she could not remember what it was. And yet something in her mind told her it was probably the oddest thing of all.


	12. Chapter 12

**THE REAL WORLD-**

Laura Sutton walked into the Washington Chronicle and glanced at Nina Raxon, the reporter who wrote all White House stories. She could potentially be a problem, but Laura had no intention of letting her become one.

She walked to the open door of the new owner/editor of the Chronicle, the youngest son of Alexander Hollander, the German immigrant who had founded this newspaper, Jonas Hollander. Alexander Hollander had died two years ago and Jonas took over. It was no secret that they had the lowest circulation of any D.C. paper. And that happened ever since the elder Hollander died.

But Laura saw Jonas as someone who was young, enthusiastic and a leader that could possibly take this newspaper in a new direction. And she had just the story to give this paper the push it needed.

"Do you have a sec?" Laura asked. She eyed Jonas, who honestly, looked a bit hungover.

"Yeah." he said, collapsing in his chair. Laura closed the door, and moved to seat herself in the chair in front of his desk.

"I have a White House source that says that Roya Hammad did not just suddenly 'die' of an aneurysm in her home."

Jonas opened a bottle of aspirin, took out four and palmed them.

"Tell me you haven't been surfing the internet? Because you should see the crazy shit they're saying about her death." he said.

"Jonas, I said I have a White House source. And this source says that the Secret Service shot her dead when she entered President Brody's office wearing an explosive vest." Laura said firmly.

Jonas quickly downed the aspirin with bottled water. He licked his lips and Laura could tell that she finally had her boss's attention.

"Is this related to that story about the agent that was fired for discharging his weapon?" he asked.

"Yes. The sound of the gunshot had to be explained. But this source saw Secret Service agents carrying her body out of the Oval Office, **VERY** carefully." Laura said.

Jonas glanced past Laura and out of his office window. Nina Raxon had her back to him and was laughing with someone over something.

"Did you let Nina in on this?" he asked casually. Laura rolled her eyes!

"No. And you can forget asking me to, Jonas. She should've been on this like stink on shit! That Brody White House is a cluster fuck! My source also said that the President did not go to Camp David last weekend, like **NINA** reported."

"Okay, Laura, you've got my attention: where was the president?" Jonas asked.

"At some out of the way cabin, owned by his new Terrorism Advisor, Carrie Mathison." Laura revealed.

"So Brody is cheating on the First Lady? How does that relate to Roya Hammad?"

"I don't know yet, Jonas, for all I know, they're two separate stories. But my source said that the real story is that when the president and Carrie Mathison returned, Ms. Mathison was unconscious."

Jonas now leaned forward.

"Laura, what are you smoking? You have just told me two of the most fucked up rumors..."

"Again, Jonas, I have a source. And this source says that the President, along with a new secret service agent and two men from the CIA, stashed an unconscious Carrie Mathison in the White House attic!" Laura huffed. "Now why the fuck didn't Nina report that?"

"Because it sounds like bullshit!" Jonas said, standing up. "Look, concentrate on the Roya Hammad angle. It seems more timely. President Brody is under tremendous pressure to show that he's just as capable as the last President Walden. If it looks like he's got terrorists just walking in to kill him, that could be big."

Laura nodded slightly.

"I agree. But I'm not sharing my sources with Nina. Sorry, but I think she's lazy."

"I'm not pulling Nina until you bring me proof about Roya Hammad. If you do, I'll pull Nina from the White House beat and give it to you."

Laura smiled.

"And the other story?"

Jonas pursed his lips before speaking.

"Bring me something more concrete on that. Check hospitals or hell, even her home. Maybe she's just sick, and not unconscious...I don't know, Laura, that one just sounds..."

"You know what it sounds like, Jonas? It sounds easier to prove than the Roya Hammad one. If I can get you a picture of Carrie Mathison, unconscious in that attic, will you let me run with that story?"

"Laura, you are not going to find her in an attic..."

"But if I do?" Laura asked.

"Then we'll do more investigating and talk to legal. But yes, if you can find proof of that story too, then yes, we can run with it." Jonas said grudgingly. Laura smiled again and left his office, as Jonas stared after her. David Estes had known his father. Jonas decided to make some calls on the Roya Hammad front, to move things along.

* * *

"Oh Brody! I think this whole idea is great! And it would be so much fun!" Jessica practically squealed.

She was standing in the Oval Office, in the middle of the room, and Sandy could not help but be enchanted by her excitement. He glanced over at the president, who was sitting as his desk and didn't appear the least bit enthused.

"Tell me what this is again, Jess?" Brody asked, trying to whip up some enthusiasm.

"It's sort of like a 'Renaissance Fair' sort of thing. "We've invited Allistair Gregory here and I thought maybe we could all dress like people from King Henry the VIII's court." Jessica suggested, smiling.

"Okay, Jess, go back. Allistair Gregory is who?" Brody asked.

But Sandy answered him.

"He's the premiere Tudor historian. But he writes plays that mainly focus on King Henry the VIII." he told him.

Brody just stared at him. He had **ZERO** interest in any of this! Carrie was in the fucking attic, probably dying, and he still had heard nothing from Dar Adal about the cure for her.

But he answered.

"This Henry VIII was related to the Queen that's in now?"

"Oh come on, Brody! We're visiting them next year! You should know that!" Jessica exclaimed a little embarrassed.

But Brody looked at her. Hard.

"Knowing it and giving a fuck about it, are two different things, Jess. What you're asking is that we put on costumes or something? You want me to be photographed dressed up like someone from the past or something?" Brody asked.

Jessica sighed.

"Yes, Brody. Look, you actually resemble King Henry when he was young and virile. You could be him, since you are the president." she said, then smiled at Sandy.

"And you, Sandy, could be Master Thomas Cromwell. King Henry's very astute and wise advisor."

"Who Henry executed." Sandy said. "But I wouldn't mind dressing up like him, in good fun. Plus I'm sure the White House website would probably be inundated with hits, with all the people wanting to see pictures of this event."

Jessica began to completely ignore Brody, as she turned to Sandy and they discussed who could play who. Brody ignored their jabbering and slyly opened up a desk drawer. Carrie's book, 'Savage Possession' was in there. And when he had the time, he planned to sneak up to the attic and read some passages to her. He knew and believed that Carrie could hear him, despite her state. And Brody planned to let her know that he was there for her.

Brody slid the drawer shut and turned his attention to his wife and Chief-Of Staff. They were in quite an animated discussion over this whole thing.

"I guess I could be Katherine of Aragon, though looks wise, I think I look more like Anne Boleyn." Jessica said.

"Yes, but you're thinking that because of all of the television and movies that have been done on this whole subject. If you look at both of their paintings, I don't think you resemble either of them." Sandy said.

"Okay," Brody interrupted, "I do know who Anne Boleyn is. I've seen repeats of that show about it. So I know what happened to her. Jess, I'll go along with this, just tell me when and what I'm supposed to wear, okay? Now if you don't mind, I really need to discuss business with Sandy."

Jess stared at her husband.

"White House events are business, Brody. So what we were talking about isn't important?"

"I didn't mean anything by that, Jess, okay? But I do need to talk about national security and yeah, that is a little more important than some dress up crap." Brody said, but immediately regretted using the word 'crap'.

"You think that what this is is crap?" Jessica asked him sharply. Sandy stepped in.

"Mrs. Brody, honestly, there are other things going on that we can't talk about. But I would be happy to help in anyway to make this event a success." Sandy told her. But Jessica was now openly glaring at Brody.

"Thank you, Sandy," she said, while still staring down her husband, "it would be nice if the president shared your opinion."

"Jess, I didn't mean it!" Brody protested, but Jessica huffed out of the office and slammed the door. Sandy slowly turned back to Brody.

"You could've shown a little more enthusiasm, Mr. President. I think what she's planning..."

"Yeah, where are we on the Coma Spray situation? I know that Dar is some kind of mythical, shady figure in the CIA, so I couldn't hope to receive a visit from him. But I've heard nothing from Saul or David." Brody told him.

"Dar said that the cure was hard to obtain. Mr. President, Carrie is being looked after by the best medical professionals we can find. They are very discreet..." Sandy began but Brody cut him off.

"How long until these 'medical professionals' become targets of gossip around here, hey? Someone is going to wonder about who is sick around here? And what is going on with that guard that let Roya Hammad in here? Is he in a federal prison?" Brody demanded to know.

"No, Mr. President. Quinn..."

"Oh Jesus! What does he have to do with any of this?"

"Mr. President, Peter Quinn has interrogated the guard, who's name is Sylvester Ryan."

"His name is really Sylvester?" Brody asked skeptically.

"Yes. And he was easily seduced by Roya Hammad so that she could be allowed in here."

"To kill me. So again, is he in a federal prison someplace?" Brody repeated.

"Quinn doesn't think he's telling everything. He thinks there is more to this plot." Sandy explained.

"In what way? Roya fucked some guard so that she could get in here and blow me up! What doesn't Quinn get about that?" Brody asked.

Sandy moved closer to Brody.

"Quinn seems to think that he's lying about some part of his story. Evidence of a large payment was found in his bank account. Quinn doesn't think that money would've been necessary, if he actually was getting sex from Roya. There could be more to this." Sandy told him.

Brody stood up.

"Tom Walker told me that Roya's motive was to scare me. Not to blow me up. I don't get where Quinn is going with this? I mean she was let in here."

"Where Quinn is going with this, Mr. President, is that you have another enemy. Someone that wanted it to get out that this woman got in here ready to blow you up. Someone who paid this guard to not cover his tracks. He could've easily erased the footage of his turning a blind eye to letting Roya Hammad in. He didn't."

Brody raised a brow.

"Because someone paid him not to? So Roya did seduce this guy but this other person paid him to take the fall? You can prove this?"

"Mr. Quinn feels he is close to doing that now." Sandy said. Brody nodded.

"Okay then. Well, I'll leave him to it." Brody said and opened up the drawer, pulling out the telltale paperback. Now Sandy raised a brow.

"What are you reading there, sir?" Sandy asked suspiciously. He couldn't see the book clearly but it looked like the cover of a romance novel!

"It's classified, okay?" Brody answered.

"I don't mean to pry but it doesn't **LOOK** classified."

"Well it is. Look, just go and find Jess and apologize for me, okay? You two seem to know more about that King and Queen crap than I do." Brody said and began to walk past him.

But Sandy blocked his way. Brody looked him up and down!

"Was there something else?" Brody asked, feeling irritation creep into his senses.

"Mr. President, I am not here to smooth things over between your wife and yourself. If you don't know how to treat such a wonderful woman..."

"What are you saying to me? That you won't do your job? There's a fucking event that my wife wants to plan. I don't know anything about it but you do! **HELP** her, okay? Is that so hard?" Brody asked sarcastically. Where the fuck did this prick come from again? Lockhart knew him, right?

"I'm sorry, Mr. President. I only meant that you will have to meet many 'Kings and Queens' and it would behoove you to keep in mind what their pasts are. You will be meeting the Queen of England and the people your wife was referring to, are the Queen's descendants."

"And when I do meet the Queen, I'll just read the cliffnotes. Are you through keeping me from my next appointment?"

It was on the tip of Sandy's tongue, to remind him that his comatose mistress, was not an 'appointment'. But he refrained from saying nothing and moved so that President Brody could leave the office and get up to the attic.

* * *

Brody thanked the nurse and told her to take a break. He would call her if anything serious occurred. He watched as the nurse walked down the attic steps and he soon heard the door close. Brody took off his suit jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves as he watched Carrie, who looked as if she were sleeping peacefully.

He sat down and opened up the book. Carrie had had a bookmark in it. Brody sighed. He kept going back to their last moments. When he had laughed at her about this book. If he hadn't teased her so unmercifully, would she have went into that cabin and gotten drugged by Tom Walker? If only HE had went into the cabin first!

He stared at the cover again. Rex and Sabrina. Was it possible that Carrie had been reading this trash because the people on the cover resembled the two of them? Brody remembered how sensitive she had been! And Carrie, in his opinion, had never been one to take a lot of things personally. But one would've thought he had opened her diary and read it or something!

Brody opened the book where the bookmark had been placed and began reading...

 _God's toenail! thought Sabrina. Rex's lovemaking made her weep..._

Brody suddenly coughed and stopped reading! He couldn't read this crap. He just couldn't. He closed the book and set it on the nightstand next to her bed. He then picked up one of her hands and squeezed it hard.

"Wake up, sexy CIA lady," Brody sighed, "wake up, wake up! Wake up so we can get Abu Nazir. Wake up so that you can help me be a better president than William Walden was. And wake up so you can keep your promise to me. The promise to be mine, body and soul."

Brody stared at her unresponsive form for a few moments, before he began to let go of her hand. It was as he was doing this, that Carrie squeezed it! Brody stared at her hand, and then at her! Jesus! Carrie was fighting to come out of this on her own!

He reluctantly let go of her hand and hurried off to find that nurse! Maybe Dar Adal's man wouldn't be needed after all.


	13. Chapter 13

**CARRIE'S REALITY**

Carrie did not get away with removing those cameras. And leaving the one in the bedroom, to Brody, was just fucking cruel! If Carrie wasn't having sex with her husband, she was prancing around naked, during the **DAY** , when her husband and child were not there, tormenting him.

And no one, from Nazir's cell, got in contact with her, which now made him doubt what Carrie had told him in the first place. Brody re-read what Carrie had said when she was first de-briefed in Germany and then thought about what she had told him at the cabin. Two separate stories. And she still had to de-brief at Langley. He doubted David would let him be there this time.

So, Brody decided to take another route to Carrie Mathison...through her friend, Jessica Lazaro...

* * *

Jessica was feeling very alone these days. Alone and lonely.

She had honestly expected Peter to be more torn about deciding to make his marriage to Carrie work. She had expected to secretly hear from him by now. She wanted to hear words of distress, of being torn between the years he spent with her, and maybe seeing that Carrie was not the woman he once loved. Or at the very least, Jessica wanted to hear Peter Quinn say he realized that he no longer loved his wife.

But she hadn't heard anything of the kind. And worse yet, Carrie had called and asked her to come to some barbecue that they were having over the weekend. Jessica did not want to go back to that house. And she didn't want to see Carrie being the mother and 'wife' that she herself had been to Peter and Chloe, for all of those years.

Not to mention that Carrie hadn't even contacted her! But Jessica didn't know if that was because Peter had confessed to a relationship with her, or maybe Carrie had guessed something. She figured it couldn't be either, since she was invited to the barbecue. Maybe Carrie would explain why she had been so distant at this event.

Then again, Jessica didn't really want to go. But she hadn't gotten back to Carrie to give her an excuse as to why she couldn't be there.

Jessica sighed. At the moment, she was in a convenience store on her lunch hour. She had been doing some substitute teaching at a local elementary school. She refused to work with kids that were middle school age, since they could be kind of lippy. But still what she had been doing as of late, could get her fired...

Jessica had been buying liquor on her lunch hour and putting it into a flask to get through the day. It wasn't that she hated teaching. But the kids reminded her of how much she missed Chloe, even though that particular child was older and wiser beyond her years.

Now, as she looked in the fridge's, she realized her favorite brand was sold out!

"Fuck!" Jessica hissed as she slammed the door. Maybe the clerk had more in the back. She turned to walk up there and slammed into a guy, who looked to be holding the last bottle!

"Oh, sorry!" Brody said, smiling at her. Virgil had been following Jessica long enough to know that she made it a habit of stopping off here and buying this brand. Brody had Virgil purchase almost every bottle the other night. Then Brody returned today and was grateful to find at least one bottle left. Actually, it helped play into his plans...

Cuteness had gotten rid of all of the cameras, except for the one in her bedroom. He wasn't about to keep watching her **JUST** in her bedroom. And while he still had the strong suspicion that Carrie had had no contact with Nazir's cell at all, he couldn't be completely sure of that. So he had to find another way into her life.

"Oh," Jessica moaned, eyeing the bottle he had in his hand, "you got the last one?"

Brody glanced down at it.

"Pink Whiskey? Yeah, it's my favorite. Oh...hey, let's talk to the clerk? Maybe there's some more in the back?" Brody suggested, his eyes running over her. He suspected she was drinking to forget Peter Quinn. He doubted a teacher could've imbibed during work hours for years and never been caught.

"No, it's alright. I shouldn't be drinking it right now anyway." Jessica sighed. "Enjoy."

Brody handed her the bottle.

"Neither should I. I'm on my lunch break and you know, work can get a little rough." he confided.

"I do. Errr...what do you do, if I may ask? I'm sorry if that seems nosy." Jessica said, eyeing him. He was kind of cute, in a small town guy type of way.

"I teach. Substitute teach, mostly. I'm over at Elm Oak."

Jessica tilted her head and smiled.

"Really? That's kind of out of the way, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I didn't want to be seen buying liquor on my lunch hour, where some parent could spot me." Brody said, knowing that Jessica was now re-thinking what she had been doing.

"You have a point," Jessica said, "actually, I'm a substitute teacher as well. Only I'm over at River Crest, which is down the street."

"Whoa! You like to live dangerously then, don't you?" Brody smiled.

"Not really. Not anymore." Jessica said sadly. "You keep the bottle. I'd better get back to work."

Brody opened one of the refrigerators and put the bottle back.

"I shouldn't anymore either. I'm coming off a bad relationship that I had hoped would turn into marriage." he lied. Jessica tilted her head.

"Really? Me too, actually." she said, eyeing him again. Brody leaned in close to her.

"I think that we should share this bottle. Together. Someplace private." he suggested.

Jessica smiled.

"Well, first of all, I don't even know your name..."

"It's Nick."

"Secondly, I am on my lunch hour. I'm substitute teaching...if I don't show back up..."

"They'll have to get a substitute." Nick whispered against her lips and suddenly, Jessica's mouth found his and she kissed him slowly, then with wild abandon. It was Brody that broke off the kiss and whispered against her lips.

"My place or yours?" he asked.

"Mine!" Jessica whispered fiercely and Brody's lips found hers again, kissing her in an almost ruthless manner. Jessica didn't know what she was doing or thinking. She just knew that she wanted to forget Peter Quinn. Even if it was for just a brief afternoon.

* * *

Brody should have insisted they go to his place.

Then again, the point of this was to get information on Carrie Mathison. And Jessica might have something lying around her place, that could be of some use to him. Or maybe just the pillow talk could help.

But as Brody made furious love to Jessica, his turgid length thrusting within her with staccato efficiency, his eyes fell on two pictures on her nightstand: one of Jessica, Peter and Chloe Quinn, and one of Jessica and Carrie.

His eyes stayed on just Carrie as his engorged heat juddered seamlessly within Jessica's grasping, intimate flesh. Jessica, on the other hand, didn't feel an iota of guilt at calling in sick on the kids she was supposed to get back to teaching. She arched her back in his response to each of 'Nick's' penetrations and gave in to the coursing excitement that threatened to overtake her.

After, she lay panting, trying to catch her breath, as Brody rose up on one elbow and caressed her arm.

"Is that him?" he asked casually. Jessica turned her head to look at the picture of herself and Peter. She turned back and nodded.

"Yeah. Peter."

Brody looked over at the picture of Peter Quinn then looked at Jessica.

"Tell me about him."

Jessica now propped up on one elbow.

"You actually want to hear about him? Now? After what we did?"

"I'll tell you what? You tell me about him, and I'll tell you about the woman who broke my heart." Brody said, smiling softly. There was a part of him that felt for this woman. She was Carrie Mathison's friend. And as a friend she had tried to step in and be a mother to her little girl and offer support to her husband. But that could only go on for so long, before feelings got in the way. They always did.

Jessica turned to glance over at Quinn's picture, before facing Brody again.

"He was someone I never expected to fall for. His wife and I went to high school together. She's the blonde woman in the other picture over there." she said quietly.

"Oh. So you're friends with his wife?" Brody asked, pretending as if he did not know.

"I was...am. I don't know what we are now. I guess I never expected Peter to want to stay with her. I mean I know this sounds horrible, but in our minds, she was as good as dead."

"Dead?" Brody asked, sitting up some more.

"Oh." Jessica said. She sat up and turned to get the picture of herself and Carrie. She reached for it, then handed it to Brody.

"That is the woman Marine that was on the news recently. The one that had been missing for years."

"Oh." Brody pretended to realize. "Her name is Kathy or..."

"Carrie. Carrie Mathison. To make a long story short, I can't go back to being the best friend that isn't in love with her husband, and wishes that her daughter was mine. So, that's my sob story. Now you tell me yours." Jessica said playfully, leaning back against one of the pillows. Brody tore his eyes off of Carrie and set the picture over on the nightstand closest to him. He took a deep breath then told a lie. But one that he felt had a grain of truth to it.

"I was in love with a married woman as well, only, my story is more complicated."

Jessica raised a brow.

"I understand complicated."

Brody sighed.

"She was the mother of one of my students. Unhappy in her marriage. What started as an affair turned into something more. I thought she would leave her husband and then..."

"Then what?" Jessica asked. Brody looked her in the eye.

"She was in a car accident. And it left her without much of her memory."

Jessica slowly sat up.

"She didn't remember you?"

"She didn't really remember her husband, either. But he kind of swooped in with their daughter and...the point is, she doesn't remember me and her husband didn't know about me. The only way I can even find out how she is, is when I sub at her daughter's school." Brody lied.

"Oh my God, Nick. That's horrible. Do you know if there is any chance of her memory coming back?" Jessica asked. Brody slyly glanced at Carrie's picture, before looking at Jessica.

"I don't know. I don't even know if it's right that I wish for it. I mean we were wrong in the first place, right?"

"I know Peter and I weren't wrong. And you don't seem like the type of guy that would just come in between two people that were happy. Something had to be wrong in that woman's marriage." Jessica said, clasping his hand. Brody looked down at her hand and squeezed it back, feeling like shit.

Jessica suddenly let go of him.

"I need to shower and run some errands so..."

"Ms. Lazaro! You're kicking me out?"

"Just for now. I'll tell you what? I have a barbecue at Peter and Carrie's house this weekend that I'm dreading going to alone. Come with?"

Brody smiled at her.

"I'd love to." he told her. Jessica got out of bed, naked, and sauntered into the bathroom. Soon, Brody could hear her shower running full blast. He jumped out of the bed, naked as well, and began to quickly open and close her dresser drawers, looking for anything that Jessica might have that could get him to understand Carrie Mathison. Maybe she had written a letter to her friend during her time in Iraq?

Just as he was closing a drawer, Jessica's phone rang. Brody walked over to it and looked at the caller I.D.. It read 'Peter Quinn'. Brody glanced at the bathroom door. Jessica couldn't hear a thing.

The answering machine kicked in and Carrie's voice began to record.

"Hey, Jessica! It's Carrie. Listen, you didn't get back to me about the barbecue on Saturday and Chloe really wants to see you so..."

Brody picked up.

"Hi cuteness! How's it going?" Brody asked, and began to ease another drawer open.

On her end, Carrie lifted a brow.

"I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number."

"No, Cuteness, you don't. I just fucked your friend, Jessica and she invited me to this barbecue thing you were referring to. Now when we arrive, I want you to explain to me, someplace private, why you removed all of the fucking cameras and how you even knew where they were."

"You fucked Jessica? Why?" Carrie asked, glancing over into the other room. Quinn and Chloe were watching TV.

"What do you mean 'why'? Have you seen her?"

"Cut the shit, Agent Brody. You're not going to find out anything from her. And she's been through enough heartache, okay?"

Brody frowned.

"You know about her and your husband?"

"Yes."

"And you're fine with that?"

"It was an impossible situation. It happened. Everyone is just trying to move on. And your using her to get information that I can't give you, isn't going to help. Leave her alone." Carrie told him.

"I'm not leaving anyone, or anything alone, until I find out **WHY** you were not there in that compound when I was. And I'm not buying your hallucinogenic story either. I've studied Nazir for years! He does not torture people like that." Brody informed her.

Carrie's response was to hang up on him! She then walked into the living room.

"Honey, can I talk to you for a moment? Chloe, I just need to borrow Daddy for a couple of minutes."

Chloe nodded. She and Quinn had been very into a documentary on rocks, for whatever reason. Quinn got up off of the couch and followed Carrie into the hallway. She closed the double doors to the room Chloe was in and lowered her voice.

"I just got off the phone with Jessica. A man answered the phone."

Quinn struggled to keep a straight face.

"Really? I didn't realize she was seeing someone?"

Carrie sighed.

"Peter, I know the two of you were involved while I was gone, okay? I'm not mad, I understand. My problem here is that the 'man', is CIA. And he didn't believe my story. He just told me on the phone that he's gotten involved with Jessica to trip me up somehow."

Quinn's eyes widened briefly and he began to really digest what Carrie was saying. And somehow, what he was hearing, netted him not answers but questions.

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't the first time this man has gotten out of line? And what do you mean he didn't believe you?" he asked.

"Peter, what does that matter? I can handle him. Jessica is vulnerable. She doesn't deserve to be dragged into CIA shit! I haven't gotten around to being de-briefed yet. I'm calling and getting in there today! Maybe if my story is actually on the record, they can reign Agent Brody in."

"That's his name? Agent Brody?" Quinn asked.

"Yes. Jessica needs to be told that this man is using her to get to me." Carrie said. "I'm not about to let the woman, who helped you look after Chloe, get dragged in the middle of this thing."

"Why is it a 'thing', Carrie? What doesn't this guy believe about what happened to you?"

"It's a long story."

"One that I think you'd better explain to me." Quinn said in a no nonsense manner. Carrie folded her arms.

"He was captured too. In the same place I was. Only he was rescued and I was not. He was blamed for it and now he's got it in his head that I was **NEVER** there. That I lied about what happened to me."

Quinn looked outraged!

"This sonofabitch was too stupid or ignorant to find you in the compound and that's **YOUR** fault? That's what he's been telling you?"

"Yes. And he's now determined to find proof that I'm lying through my friends. That's why I need to get this de-briefing over now."

"I'm coming with you." Quinn told her. "We'll ask your sister to watch Chloe."

* * *

Saul had returned from his trip with Mira, and had been called in by David to do damage control on the 'Carrie Mathison Situation'.

He was in general agreement with David about Brody going too far. He had been called and would be appearing in David's office to defend himself. But...Carrie Mathison had been sort of peeking at him, as if he were someone she hadn't seen in a long time or something. He didn't know if he was just mis-reading the way she was looking at him, or not, but it began to make him play devil's advocate a bit.

Brody went as far as he needed to, when he felt he was on the right track. And when he was wrong, he veered off. But Brody wasn't backing off here. He had threatened Farah into letting him into Sergeant Mathison's first de-briefing, then badgered her until she couldn't go through with it.

Then, apparently, Brody had come to Carrie's home to harass her and had begun an intimate relationship with one of her friends, just to get information. Yes, agents did do these things but they were never caught nor was it obvious.

And somehow, he got the feeling Carrie wasn't revealing **ALL** that Brody had done. And he suspected that was to spare her husband, Peter Quinn, who already looked like he was about to explode.

Saul decided that **HE** would question Sergeant Mathison.

"David, if you don't mind, why don't I de-brief the sergeant here? I feel badly about this whole thing. I blocked Agent Brody from that first de-briefing and he somehow managed to force his way in. I can assure you Agent Brody will no longer be a problem."

Quinn was the one that responded to Saul. Carrie said nothing because she picked up on a certain tone in his voice. He was going to try and prove Brody right, because essentially, Brody was his guy.

"I would actually prefer that Mr. Estes 'de-brief' my wife. I'm sure you are sorry for the abuse my wife has suffered but for all I know he did this with your okay." Quinn said. Carrie glanced at Quinn. He was more perceptive that she would've given him credit for, considering he was an 'architect'.

David interrupted.

"I understand your skepticism, Mr. Quinn, but I can assure you, both Mr. Berenson and I had an actual conversation with Agent Brody, telling him that he would **NOT** be questioning your wife in any way. He went against orders..."

"And will be punished how?" Quinn demanded to know, just as Brody opened the door and walked in. He smiled at Carrie, something that threw Quinn off his guard.

"Agent Brody," David said, "thank you f or getting here so quickly."

"I was in bed." Brody said simply. Quinn began to move towards him.

"You sonofabitch! You are using a beautiful, sensitive and loving woman to do what? To alleviate your guilty conscience? You should have found my wife when you were in the same fucking building she was!" Quinn ranted.

"First of all, I can date who Iike. You've got a lot of nerve saying that I'm using Jessica. I ran into her in a store, we clicked and that's that. Secondly, yes, I should have found your wife, Mr. Quinn. And I would have if she had been there. She wasn't. And ever since she's been telling cock and bull stories about being drugged! I don't believe her!" Brody snapped.

Now Carrie spoke.

"I get that you don't believe me. I more than get that considering all that you've pulled here. Do you want me to get into **ALL** that you've done?"

"What the hell does that mean?" Quinn asked, looking from Carrie to Brody. Saul had a bad feeling that this conversation needed to be stopped- **NOW**! He grabbed Brody's arm.

"You know what? David, you do the de-briefing. I'll take Agent Brody here into my office to cool off."

But Quinn wasn't having it!

"You're taking him out of here before I learn just how fucking far he's went, aren't you?" he asked Saul, before turning back to Carrie.

"You tell me what he's done now, or you don't come home!"

Carrie backed back!

"Are you kidding me? You'd kick me out of my own home for just trying to spare your feelings?"

"You're not sparing me, Carrie, you're lying. And to be honest, it makes me wonder if there isn't something to what's being alleged." Quinn said, before he could take back the words.

It was quiet in the office now.

Carrie broke the silence.

"Fine," she said, staring Quinn down, "I'll go through my de-brief and then I'm going to stay with my sister."

"Carrie, I didn't mean..."

"Fuck you!" Carrie snapped and then looked at Brody. "And fuck you too! You are a terrible agent, you know that?"

Carrie then turned to David.

"Can we get his over with?" she asked tersely. David nodded and he and Carrie walked out of his office. Saul and Brody left soon after, leaving Quinn alone.

* * *

Saul didn't slam his office door like he thought he would. But he did stare down Brody.

"I think you may have something. But before you get excited, let me tell you this: while Sergeant Mathison may not have been Abu Nazir's prisoner, you have to find out where she was in order to make anything stick. And right now you look like you're harassing a family." Saul informed him.

"You don't think I know that, Saul? There was one point where I employed Virgil and Max to orchestrate a kidnapping of the cute sergeant there. When we got to the safe house, she kept insisting that it was her 'family cabin', and she knew Virgil and Max! They had never met her. Then she tells me that Nazir fed her hallucenogneic drugs along with pictures of you, myself, Virgil, Max...everyone. Oh and that she and I were lovers. Nazir has never used that type of torture tactic. She's lying but I can't figure out..."

Saul gaped at him!

"Brody? What the fuck! She just told you what happened to her and it couldn't be anything but that! I was set to believe that you **MIGHT** be on to something, based on just the fact that I felt as Sergeant Mathison was looking at me like she knew me! Now you've told me why! Now she's telling David why! And if she knows all of us, someone told her who we were! We have a mole!"

Brody folded his arms.

"She didn't say any of that in her de-brief in Germany. Why?"

Saul was silent for a few moments before answering.

"I don't know."

"So you do agree that there is **SOMETHING** to find out?" Brody challenged.

"Yes. But not by you. You've done enough." Saul said.

Brody didn't answer that. And that was because he did not agree. He didn't think he'd done nearly enough to get the truth out of Sergeant Cuteness.


	14. Chapter 14

**CARRIE'S REALITY-**

Carrie had always been very good at talking and thinking about something completely different at the same time. And what she was thinking was that SHE was Carrie Mathison and that SHE was going to pull her own ass out of this dream/nightmare state, Tom Walker had put her in!

She couldn't worry anymore about Brody's 'career' or Quinn's 'feelings'. The relationships she had with them in this...this...whatever this was, were different and not real. That meant that she was going to throw 'Agent Brody' under the bus once and for all. And she had an idea about this whole thing. Maybe if she tried to re-create the circumstances of what was happening, **BEFORE** Tom Walker did what he did, she could pull herself out of this thing that was happening to her.

That meant luring Agent Brody back up to the cabin and fucking him senseless.

But Carrie was willing to do it. Because she had remembered something. And now she wanted to know if there was any truth to it in the real world she lived in.

When she had gotten off that plane at Andrews Airforce Base, for a brief second, she had caught a strange look pass between Major Craig Foster and the Vice-President's wife, Cynthia Walden. It had seemed more then friendly. The only reason Carrie even noticed it, was because Vice-President Walden had his back to them, as he shook her hand. And when he turned to look at them, the 'look' disappeared and changed into something more remote.

Carrie had not had the time to think about it, with all that was being thrown at her in this new world. But now that she remembered it, she began to wonder if what she had seen between the Major and the Vice-President here, was also going on in real life? And if it was, did it mean anything with regards to Brody's presidency?

"Sergeant, you said none of this during your first de-brief in Germany. Why?" David asked her.

"Because I'm married, Mr. Estes. I just hoped that it would never be necessary for anyone to know the sordid details of all that I was forced to do." Carrie answered.

"And if you had not become ill during the first de-brief here, would you have told me what you have today?"

"I don't know, Mr. Estes. I was in a different state of mind then. I was unsure of what I was really coming back to, with regards to my husband and daughter. Agent Brody had threatened that. Repeatedly."

"In what way?" David asked.

Carrie took a deep breath.

"He staged a kidnapping."

David raised a brow.

"Agent Brody 'staged' a kidnapping of your person? And how did you know it was staged?"

"I didn't at first. Until I realized that I recognized two of the abductors and Agent Brody admitted it."

"You recognized two CIA operatives? Other than Agent Brody?" David asked, now a bit uneasy. He didn't like where this was going, though he could not ascertain in that moment, why.

Carrie leaned forward.

"Yes, Mr. Estes. And at first, I thought it was because Abu Nazir had drugged me. At least that was what I told Agent Brody."

David glanced at her medical file, then looked at her.

"I see nothing about hallucinogenic drugs in your system from the medical report."

"Mr. Estes, Abu Nazir showed me slides of people...people that I only knew by the first names 'Virgil' and 'Max'. I was then told about 'Saul Berenson' and..."

"And?" David promoted her.

"I now believe that I did see Agent Brody there at the compound. He was helping Nazir with some of the names when he wasn't forcing himself on me." Carrie whispered, effortlessly emitting fake tears.

"Sergeant, you do realize that this is a completely different story than what you have told in previous statements..." David began but Carrie interrupted him.

"Do you know how horrifying it was for me, to see him here, that other day? He has 'pretended' like he never saw me there! As if he's the victim! Mr. Estes, he put cameras in my home so he could watch me have sex with my husband! I managed to find them and take them out but they **ARE** in a box in my garage! I just want to go on with my life and Agent Brody won't let me!" Carrie sniffed.

David did not know if he completely believed Sergeant Carrie Mathison, but the fact that she knew who Virgil and Max were, having to his knowledge never met them, was damning. And if she could produce the cameras...

"I want you to stay here and take a breath. I'll be right back." David said. He got up and left the interrogation room. He then walked into Saul's office. Brody was there.

"Where is Mr. Quinn?" David asked.

"He left the building," Saul said grimly, "so he obviously doesn't care how his wife gets home."

David closed the door.

"Agent Brody, did you have cameras installed in Sergeant Mathison's home?"

Saul frowned and looked at Brody. He looked guiltier than hell!

"Yes." Brody said in a tight voice.

"On who's authority?" David asked. Saul now shook his head.

"Damnit, David! She is **LYING**! And she is distracting everyone with her lies! This woman is still probably in contact with Abu Nazir, somehow, someway!" Saul fumed. **NOW** he believed Brody!

"Well she is saying that she now remembers you being there. And that you sexually assaulted her in Abu Nazir's compound." David informed him.

"David, you should have let me question her! I'm not buying any of this! Now this is the third change in her story!" Saul yelled.

"I don't believe it either, Saul. But the problem is the staged kidnapping and the cameras. Agent Brody, you are just going to have to let this one go. And if you don't let it go, you will find yourself working in the basement of this building, are we clear?" David asked Brody in a no nonsense tone.

Brody said nothing.

"Are we clear?" David asked again, in a harsher tone of voice.

"Crystal." Brody said in a tone that equaled David's.

* * *

Carrie knew that David didn't really believe her, but she didn't have time to worry about it. She knew Brody would be pissed off at her. She also knew that her lies in there, would only make him try and find a way to come after her even harder.

Saul walked up to her as she was looking through her purse.

"Sergeant, your husband seems to have left. I could give you a lift home?" he offered.

Carrie eyed him.

"So you can pump me for more information? No thanks. I'll call a cab."

"Sergeant Mathison, Agent Brody is not a bad man. And he's certainly not the man you described to David Estes, is he? We're all on the same side. If someone told you to tell that lie today, we need to know."

Carrie sighed and walked away from him. She needed to get to her family cabin. She needed to lure Brody up there. She saw two cabs just sitting there and walked up to the first one, asking if they were in service. She would go home, get her car and then drive to the cabin.

But as she reached for the back door of the cab, she did not notice a van pull up alongside the van. By the time Carrie did turn and notice it, it was too late. The doors opened and Brody reached out and pulled her inside! Max closed the doors while Virgil, who was at the wheel, took off!

The cab driver watched the van speed off, then looked over at Saul, who was now standing on the steps of the CIA building. They nodded to one another, as the cab driver started his vehicle and drove off.

* * *

Carrie had been promptly chloroformed, as soon as Brody pulled her into the van. He had decided a **MUCH** different tactic would be needed to deal with Sergeant Cuteness.

As soon as Virgil pulled the van into the garage, Brody picked Carrie up and carried her into another CIA safe house. He laid her on the couch and then turned to Virgil and Max.

"I'll call you when I need you." he told them.

"What are you planning on doing, Brody?" Virgil asked, looking a bit concerned. "I mean if you're planning on torturing her..."

"Oh it will be 'torture' but not the kind you're thinking. See Nazir physically tortures, then offers kindness. Trust. That's what's going to happen here between the sergeant and myself here...minus the physical torture. For as long as it takes until she tells me why she lied during her de-brief." Brody said.

Max walked over to the window. The house was located in a small suburb. And what was not evident, is that all the surrounding houses were the property of the CIA. From the outside, they looked like kept up, cared for houses. But on the inside, there wasn't a stick of furniture in them.

This one, however, looked very lived in.

Max turned back to Brody and Virgil.

"Saul signed off on this. So I'll trust you." he told Brody.

"Estes did not!" Virgil snapped. "Not to mention that no matter how pissed off her husband is at her, he's going to be wondering where the fuck she is! And the last time he'll remember seeing her, was at Langley!"

"Let me handle this, okay? Just get in your van and go." Brody told them confidently. Virgil sighed, then motioned to Max. They left by way of the inside garage door. Soon Brody heard the door go up and the van back out. He walked to the window and watched as it drove off.

Brody then turned to the unconscious Carrie. He had half lied to Virgil and Max. This interrogation would not be the usual fan fare.

* * *

When Carrie came to, her first sense was cramping. In her arms. Why did her arms feel so...

They were BOUND! Her eyes flew completely open as she began to take in her surroundings AND her situation!

First, she was naked! Naked and her arms were bound and hanging above her head with some kind of half assed looking scarves or something! It reminded Carrie of the kind of thing someone would use in a movie to escape from a second floor prison cell!

Secondly, Carrie realized she had been in this room before. Or this house. She gasped! This was **BRODY'S** house! The one he lived in before he became president! What the fuck?

And lastly and most importantly(or not), Brody was sitting on a couch, naked himself watching her!

"You **FUCKER**! Whatever you are up to here, you will **NEVER** get away with this!"

"Are you hungry? Because walking around naked always makes me hungry. I have some Ritz crackers and wine in the fridge." Brody said casually, as if this situation was an everyday occurrence.

"You let me down from here! NOW!" Carrie screamed. "Or I swear to God, I will scream so loud that the neighbors will come running..."

Brody grinned and folded his arms!

"And find us like this? And we don't have any neighbors."

Carrie looked around again wildly! Wasn't this Brody's house? Of course he had neighbors! But the way he just said that, made Carrie believe that this house, just like her family cabin, was not the same place that she knew it to be.

"What do you want?" Carrie asked and stopped struggling. Brody unfolded his arms and got up. She tried to ignore his nudity and his closeness, since right at this moment, he was very much like 'her' Brody.

"Tell me why you felt you had to tell that lie to Estes? About my really being at Nazir's and raping you? Tell me why you said that and I can help you get out of whatever you are knee deep in." Brody told her. He was standing right in front of her.

Carrie realized that now was her chance! She had to test her theory if she was ever going to return to the world she knew.

"Why am I naked, Agent Brody? Why are you? What kind of 'interrogation' technique is this?" she asked coyly. Brody reached out and touched her chin.

"I want to know why you let me watch you with your husband? I want to know why you told me that Nazir made you think we were lovers? It's because you want us to be, don't you?"

His face was close enough to her lips so that Carrie could just go for it! She leaned forward to kiss him with a hungry fervor that she reserved only for President Nicholas Brody! She then broke off the kiss and stared into Agent Brody's eyes.

Brody groaned and put both of his hands on her face, cupping it for a second, hard kiss. Their lips never parted as his hands moved down her shoulders and settled on her breasts, which he cupped briefly, then rested on her hips. He slowly rubbed his organ against her intimate flesh, causing Carrie to spread her legs slightly.

Carrie cried out into Brody's mouth as he entered her swiftly, then began moving slowly inside of her, their bodies undulating naturally.

Suddenly, Brody's thrusts became sharper and harder and Carrie felt as if her head was going to explode! She bucked wildly against him as she lost all sense of reality and...

Carrie suddenly lurched out of bed! She looked around wildly and it took her more than a few moments to realize that the woman telling her that she was going to be alright, was none other than Allison Carr. What the hell was she doing here? Where was here?

"Allison?" Carrie asked, looking from her to Dar. "Where am I?"

"It worked." Dar said staring at a small aerosol can.

"What worked? Where am I? This looks like some kind of attic or something?" Carrie said. She saw medical equipment. All of this was for her?

Allison nodded to Dar.

"You'd better let the President know." she said. Dar nodded and pocketed the can.

"It's nice to see you awake, Agent Mathison." Dar said before turning and walking down the stairs. Carrie stared after him before focusing on Allison.

"Where the hell am I?"

"You are in the White House attic, my dear. Dar pulled me out of Berlin so that I could get access to the cure that would wake you up." she said wryly.

"Why am I here and not in the hospital?"

"Oh come on, Carrie! You know why! How could you allow yourself to get involved with that man! I know sometimes crossing a line comes with the job. But Brody could very well destroy everything we hold near and dear in this country." Allison scolded her.

"Allison, I need to get my bearings before I listen to a lecture. And if you are here, then you have to know that David and Saul brought me in on this. And I'd watch my tone if I were you. Everyone knows you fucked Muammar Gaddafi..."

Allison put a hand up.

"Okay. Maybe I shouldn't be so judgy. But I think when you are brought up to speed on everything that has happened since Tom Walker poisoned you, you'll agree that we'd all be better off if President Brody was taken out rather than forced to resign." Allison told Carrie in a no nonsense tone.

Carrie was about to answer that, when something flashed! Allison turned towards the stairs and saw a young woman had snapped a picture of Carrie in bed! The woman turned and tried to run down the stairs, but Allison leaped on her, causing them both to fall down the steps!

"Allison!" Carrie yelled, then struggled to get out of bed.

"I'm alright!" Allison called out. "I landed on her. But she is very dead."

Allison used the dead woman to buoy herself up. She had the woman's camera. That was all that counted. But Dar...and President Brody, would have to be told about the dead woman at the bottom of the White House attic stairs.


	15. Chapter 15

**TWO WEEKS LATER-**

Much had happened since Laura Sutton had been 'found' in the Potomac River. 'Witnesses' saw her perched to jump but were 'unable' to stop her, as she leaped to her death.

First, Jonas now whole heartedly believed that not only was Laura actually on to something, but that that 'something' was the reason her body was fished out of the river and her death was being labeled a 'suicide'. He could have cursed himself for not taking her more seriously. And he could not help but kick himself, for believing David Estes when he did go see him, days before Laura's death, when the Deputy Chief essentially told him there was nothing to the rumors surrounding Roya Hammad's death.

Roya Hammad. She supposedly died of some kind of sudden brain hemorrhage.

Laura Sutton. She supposedly killed herself when she was on to a big story. And now Jonas had to also wonder, if Laura was suddenly dead, not because of Roya Hammad, but because of that Carrie Mathison rumor. The one about her being in White House attic, unconscious...

The second thing that happened after the 'suicide', was that former First Lady Cynthia Walden, revealed on Lawrence O'Donnell's show on MSNBC, that the late President William Walden had had doubts about President Brody's 'fitness'. When Mr. O'Donnell asked for clarification, Cynthia Walden tearfully revealed that her husband's nickname for Nicholas Brody was 'The Manchurian Candidate' and that he wanted to replace him as Vice-President when it came time for re-election!

No one was more furious about that interview, than Jessica Brody herself! She knew she shouldn't have let that woman co-chair anything at the White House! And the present First Lady truly felt as if the kindness she had tried to show Cynthia Walden had been thrown back in her face!

And lastly, that interview secured in Carrie's mind, that her impression of Cynthia Walden and Major Craig Foster, in that surreal coma she had just come out of, was a clue of sorts. And her sense that they were in collusion to destroy Brody's presidency, was intensified by Cynthia Walden's interview AND her interrogation of the guard that let Roya Hammad into this White House wearing a suicide vest-Sylvester Ryan.

Carrie was convinced that Major Foster and Cynthia Walden were connected to this guard somehow. But she felt like there was more she needed to know before mentioning their names to Sylvester Ryan.

So Carrie had that to worry about, along with the fact that neither David, Saul nor Quinn actually gave a good goddamn about her theory! They just wanted Brody out of that White House!

And of course, there was always Brody to contend with.

Carrie had found that she was avoiding him and she realized it was because this whole plan to insert herself back into his life, had backfired on her-badly. She understood that Brody could not retain the presidency. But she didn't want him run out on a rail either! Additionally, she found herself feeling funny whenever she looked at Quinn. Why she would've been involved in such a bizarre love triangle between Brody and Quinn, bothered her, if Carrie was honest with herself.

She walked into David's office for a de-briefing that would only include herself, David, Saul, Quinn and Allison-who Carrie was glad to see. She felt like she needed her friend's perspective on what was going on here!

Carrie was the last one to enter David's office, so she closed the door. David spoke before she could sit down.

"Sandy is busy putting out the fire Cynthia Walden started. So he will not be joining us." David said. "Allison, are we any closer to finding Abu Nazir's new location?"

But before Allison could answer, Carrie interrupted.

"I'm sorry Allison. I don't mean to interrupt, but I think it's important that we take a little more time to look into Cynthia Walden's accusations here." she said.

"Why?" Quinn asked sardonically. "Because Cynthia Walden is just so wrong, right?"

"Why do you have to be such a bastard about this?" Carrie argued.

"Come on, Carrie! All Quinn is saying is that you're off message here. Brody is still knee deep in with Abu Nazir. The man asked him to help him blow up congress in exchange for bringing you out of a coma. That whole thing is just more proof that Nicholas Brody is too dangerous to stay in the White House." Saul told her.

"You too, Saul? I understand what is at stake here! I just think that we need to be focusing on **ALL** of our enemies! And I now have to wonder if Major Foster and Cynthia Walden had some connection to Roya Hammad!"

"There is nothing that we have found that indicates that." Quinn said in a softer tone. "And frankly, I think we need to have him transferred to a federal prison before this whole thing somehow gets leaked to the press."

"Yes, about that," David said, "Jonas Hollander could be a problem."

Saul frowned but said nothing. David proceeded.

"He's Alexander Hollander's son. He took over the Washington Chronicle after his father died. He came to see me before the 'Laura Sutton Thing'. Somehow what happened at the cabin got on Laura Sutton's radar. She claimed she had a source that knew about Carrie and the president **AND** about how Roya Hammad really died. Sandy is trying to hunt down who this 'source' could be."

"Okay," Carrie said, now standing up, "none of you still think that Cynthia Walden and Major Foster might have something to do with this? And Sandy is a station chief, he's great out in the field but what does he really know about being a White House Chief of Staff?"

Allison finally spoke.

"Carrie, he's not really supposed to be a good one, remember? He's really only watching the president. Just to make sure he doesn't go crazy." she reminded her.

Carrie turned and walked out of David's office. Allison mouthed to everyone that she would go after her and left behind Carrie, closing the door. Once it was closed, Quinn almost exploded!

"I **KNEW** this mission was too much for Carrie! She is in love with Brody and she isn't thinking straight! I'm sorry, but I think we need to take care of him quickly and quietly. The sooner it's done, the sooner Carrie can get her life back."

"We can't kill him until he delivers Nazir to us. And it bugs me that there has been no contact between the two of them." Saul reminded him.

"So Sandy says." Quinn said, folding his arms.

"What the hell does that mean?" David asked. "What's with the tone?"

"It may be something, or nothing. But Sandy is hot for Jessica Brody. And I think his attraction to her may be getting in the way of the job."

"Christ, no!" David snapped. Saul took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. _What David said, Saul thought._

* * *

Carrie heard her phone buzz and saw what was like the thirteenth call from POTUS. She ignored the call and looked up as Allison approached her in the hallway.

"Did David send you out here?" Carrie asked sarcastically.

"Okay, I know when you first awakened I was a bit judgmental. But that was out of concern. I'm still concerned that your feelings for this man are overriding your common sense. He can't stay in this White House and we're not here to help him save his presidency."

"And what if what Major Foster and Cynthia Walden are up to, is dangerous to our country? Wrong or right, Brody is the president. We can't have people deciding that they're just going to kill him..."

"Carrie! Listen to yourself! You have no proof of that except that you dreamt it in your coma state." Allison reminded her.

"That was **NOT** a dream state! I don' know what the hell it was, but that was more than just some dream! My life was totally reversed with Brody's! And I was married to Quinn! Why the fuck would I be married to him?! And the sex..." Carrie trailed off, lowering her voice as someone passed them.

Allison raised a brow.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The sex felt very real. The whole thing was very real! I was off my meds too, remember? I can see things much clearer when medication is not clouding my brain."

Allison said nothing for a moment.

Then she said something that Carrie did not like hearing.

"I think we need to talk to Dar."

"Him? Why?" Carrie asked suspiciously.

"Because he was the one that went scrounging for a cure to that coma spray that Tom Walker sprayed on you, courtesy of Abu Nazir. I think he needs to know just what happens to a person when they are sprayed with that poison."

"What do you mean? Why does he need to know that?"

"He is a liaison between our agency and the military. This is a weapon we could use..."

"Jesus, Allison! Did you not hear anything I just said? And how is spraying this on our enemies in combat so they can dream surreal shit, going to help us? You can tell Dar Adal whatever but he creeps me out! And in just the short time I've known him, I don't trust him." Carrie said firmly, just as Allison's phone rang. She looked at it. It was Sandy Bachman.

"Yes?" Allison asked when she answered.

"Is Carrie still in that meeting with David and the others?"

"Yes." Allison lied. "What's up?"

"What's up is that the president has called his Terrorism Advisor about ten times and she's not answering. He wants to see her at the White House- **NOW**!" Sandy told her, before hanging up. Allison hung up as well and looked at Carrie.

"How many times has Brody called you today?"

"Who was that?" Carrie asked instead.

"Sandy. And he sounded pissed off. Apparently Brody needs to see you in some kind of official capacity. This is the job, Carrie. And you were asked if you could pull this off. Can you? Otherwise you need to let David and Saul know."

"I think they know how I'm feeling. And you're right. I have to remember this is the job. This 'job' is the only thing standing between David ordering a hit on Brody." Carrie said coldly before turning and walking off. Allison stared after her, just as Quinn hurried up to her.

"Where is she going?" Quinn asked. Allison dragged her eyes off of Carrie and looked at him.

"To do her job. What's up?"

"We've heard from Farah and it's not good."

"What's going on?" Allison asked with concern.

"Abu Nazir is about to take another bride. And it's Alesha Phillips." Quinn said grimly.

* * *

Carrie entered the Oval Office and only found Sandy there. She closed the door behind her.

"Where's the president?" she asked tersely.

"In the War Room. He wants you down there. I am not invited." Sandy said, as he closed a button on his suit jacket.

"Your his Chief of Staff. You have to know what's going on..." Carrie began but Sandy interrupted her.

"No I don't. Because Nicholas Brody isn't your normal president, is he? You need to start doing your job, Carrie, because I don't know what this meeting is all about. And for all I know, he's getting ready to nuke D.C. or something."

"Brody would not do that," Carrie said in a cool tone, "and I am tired of being told that I'm not 'doing my job'! I was in a fucking coma, thank you very much! So excuse me for..."

"I will not excuse you." Sandy said boldly, looking her over. "Your 'job' is to fuck the president into giving up this office. I am the fallback plan. I was brought in because you've fucked him into wanting to stay in this office and have you, despite the fact that his wife is a gorgeous piece of loveliness. Now get down to the war room, Carrie, and find out if our captured solider/president has went off of the rails, okay?"

Sandy then walked out of the office. Carrie folded her arms. _'Gorgeous piece of loveliness'_. Carrie now stared at the closed door Sandy had left through. Sandy Bachman was quite the hypocrite! And Carrie planned to keep an eye on him and Jessica Brody, in case his clear crush on her was not so one sided.

* * *

Carrie walked into the war room and was surprised to find Brody there-alone. She closed the door behind her. He was sitting in a chair with his back to her, staring at a screen. She could see the top of his hair.

"Brody? What's going on? Where is everybody?"

Brody slowly turned around and stood up. Carrie raised a brow.

President Nicholas Brody was naked.

"Uh...wow. Brody, I don't think this is the right room..." Carrie trailed off. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw anger there.

"You didn't think, " Brody said in a slow, deliberate tone, "that I would want to see you after you woke up? That I would be concerned for your well being after what happened?"

Carrie rubbed the back of her neck.

"Brody, I just needed space. You don't know what was going on with me. I was not just asleep. I was in a different reality almost. I just needed time to process things. I really feel like you have more problems than Abu Nazir to worry about."

Brody slowly walked towards her and Carrie did not back away. She could not help but think of the 'other Brody' in this moment and how unlike the man in front of her, he had been.

Brody reached for her hand, then pulled her towards the screen. He then reached out with his other hand and picked up a phone.

"Put it on screen, Major Foster." Brody said. Carrie turned from the screen to Brody when he uttered that name!

"What's going on?" she asked, then looked back at the screen. A drone was overhead outside of some sort of party gathering at a compound.

"We found Abu Nazir. And we're going to blow him back to the stone ages, Carrie. I wanted you to be with me when it happened." Brody said softly. He let go of her hand and began to rub her back.

"You have confirmation that he's here? David needs to know! I just came from a briefing with him and he said nothing about this!"

Brody reached out and turned Carrie so that she was facing him.

"I can make this happen, Carrie. We can be together and I can be president. And no, I am not asking you to be my mistress. I almost lost you. I almost lost you because that sonofabitch sent an assassin to poison you. You could have died. I don't want to 'catch' Nazir. I want him dead for all that he's done to me. And to what he almost did to us." Brody told her.

Carrie reached up to touch his face.

"I'm here, Brody. Nothing has happened to me. Nothing is going to happen to me. And I have to make sure that nothing happens to you! Don't you see that if you kill Nazir now, there is nothing stopping David and Saul from killing you!"

Brody cupped her face within his hands. She had warned him about what the CIA was planning. And it was something that had been in the back of his mind from the beginning of this thing. Carrie had picked a side.

She had picked his.

His mouth closed over hers in a kiss that parted her lips gently, before becoming more demanding. His meaty penetration clenched and rose in anticipation of making love to Carrie after all of this time.

"Brody," Carrie whispered between kisses, "we really shouldn't be doing this here!"

Brody's lips left hers and he held her gaze as he reached for the phone again and gave the order to drop a drone on the gathering!

"Brody! We don't have any real confirmation that he's there..." Carrie protested but Brody's mouth enclosed over hers again and she felt the blood course through her body. A part of her wanted to stop this and watch the screen. She broke off their kiss to try and make one final attempt to talk some sense into him!

"Brody, I think that Major Foster and Cynthia Walden are involved! You can't trust something like this based on his intel! Let's just wait!"

Brody's answer was for his lips to seek hers again, but Carrie moved her head.

"I'm serious here! For all we know, those are innocent people, Nazir isn't down there and Foster can claim that **YOU** were the one that gave the order to him! Just think about this!"

Brody pulled Carrie into a hard embrace and whispered harshly against her mouth.

"When you wouldn't talk to me after you awoke, I got a copy of your debrief in the hospital. I read about that 'other world' where I had your life and you were married to Quinn. Do you know how hard that was to read...I didn't know if you were avoiding me because you now loved him..."

"No!" Carrie said firmly. "I don't love Quinn! I don't know what that was about but I don't love him. I love..."

"Prove it, Carrie. Prove it to me. And trust me to take care of Nazir." Brody whispered in a raw, aching voice as his lips now covered Carrie's savagely, and they both clawed at her clothing to get it off. And before Carrie knew what was happening, Brody was sitting in his chair, facing the screen and watching the aftermath of the destruction the drone had caused, while Carrie juddered seamlessly upon his grasping, engorged heat.

Brody had not felt this alive or at peace, since before Tom Walker had sprayed Carrie at the cabin. Nazir was dead and Carrie was his. Everything would be fine now.

Only it would not be alright. Not at all. For the gathering Brody had just bombed the hell out of, was indeed a wedding. The forced wedding of Abu Nazir and Alesha Phillips. And only Alesha Phillips body would be found.

David Estes put out the kill order of President Nicholas Brody and gave Quinn the task of carrying it out.


	16. Chapter 16

Carrie didn't like being wrong. And she didn't like mistakes. No matter how in love she was with President Nicholas Brody, her affair with him had clouded her judgment. Alesha Phillips was dead. Farah had been beaten trying to protect Alesha from Nazir and his men, and David was in no mood to be understanding.

Carrie knew that all of these things, would lead to Brody's assassination, some how, some way.

She stood before Saul and they were both in David's office, minus David. Carrie strongly suspected he could not stand the sight of her right now.

"I don't know why you wanted to meet, Carrie." Saul said in a tired tone. He said no more after that, telling Carrie that Saul was just as pissed off!

"Okay, Saul. I know I fucked up. Severely. But we still have an endgame here. Nazir is just as in the wind as he ever was before. He's alive but Alesha Phillips is dead. Farah..."

"Was assaulted trying to protect Alesha." Saul said matter-of-factly.

"Which was terrible but how the hell is that my fault? Abu Nazir was after Alesha Phillips and you assigned a very green analyst to stay by her side. Was there any security?"

Saul leaned forward behind David's desk.

"Are you fucking questioning what **WE** did? Your fucking boyfriend, President Manchurian Candidate, did this! He did this while you fucked him! By your own admission!"

Carrie slowly stood up and folded her arms.

"No, Saul. That isn't the real issue here. Brody received that fake information from Major Craig Foster, who is now denying that he told Brody **ANYTHING**! He is the one at fault here."

"Major Foster told Brody about a different location, some time before and Brody chose not to act."

"Well of course **NOW** he's going to say it was a different location! Saul, I am telling you, Foster and Cynthia Walden are trying to bumrush Brody out of office! I know you don't care about that. I know that you don't think that he belongs there, but **THEY** are the ones that got Alesha killed! And I have to wonder how they knew to give Brody that location in the first place?"

"Carrie, you have no evidence that Cynthia Walden is involved in anything, much less this fuck up! And Major Foster's assertion that it was a different location he gave Brody, is being backed up by military officials and others that were in the war room that day. Now, you need to forget about all of this because it is none of your concern any longer. David is pulling your access."

"Saul, please..."

"Goddamnit! We tried and it didn't work! You weren't ready for this. Now we're going to do this David's way. You need to find something else to do with your life. You won't be working here any longer. And chances are you won't be seeing Brody again."

"Why?" Carrie asked in a sarcastic manner. "Because he'll be staying with his wife or because he won't be alive?"

"This meeting is over. I have to get to the hospital. Farah was brought back here to recover. She'll be going home in a couple of days, then put on desk duty until we fully investigate what happened." Saul told her. Carrie didn't answer as Saul walked over to his door and opened it. Carrie walked to the door, then stopped.

"I was the one that first knew Brody was not what he said he was. I know things got severely out of hand. I have the same feeling about Major Foster and Cynthia Walden. Saul, in the end, they are just as much our enemies as you think Brody is."

"Goodbye, Carrie." Saul said. Carrie nodded and walked out. She knew Saul was not ready to hear her theory. It was a familiar feeling. And because of that, she knew she was on her own here.

Her cellphone rang and Carrie didn't recognize the number. She picked up anyway.

"Carrie Mathison here."

"My, I didn't think they would still allow you to keep your phone." a female voice replied.

"Who is this?" Carrie asked, feeling annoyance creep into her senses.

"It's First Lady, Cynthia Walden. How are you today, Miss Mathison?"

Carrie raised a brow.

"I think First Lady Jessica Brody would be surprised to hear that you're still referring to yourself by that title."

"And I think poor Jessica would be surprised to hear the story going around, that you fucked President Brody while he dropped a drone on a poor, helpless victim of Abu Nazir's." Cynthia Walden replied coolly.

"Is that going to be your boyfriend's campaign slogan?" Carrie replied tartly.

"We need to meet. You're spreading rumors around that I don't particular care for."

"Well since I don't want to end up just as dead as Alesha Phillips, I'm going to have to pass on that invite. Oh and you're right about one thing: after today I probably won't have this phone any longer." Carrie said, hanging up. Her suspicions were no longer just that! There is no way that woman would have dared called her, if she hadn't been on to something! What she could not get over, was that neither Major Foster or Cynthia Walden, would have even registered as a blip on her radar, if not for that coma spray.

Carrie put her phone in her purse and mulled over her next move. She knew what it was. It just would not be pleasant.

She needed to see Brody.

Carrie walked out of the Langley complex and down the stairs towards the parking lot. She had to warn him that the CIA would indeed try and kill him. He needed to resign, something Major Foster and Cynthia Walden would love to have happen. Did she dare voice her opinion about the two of them to Brody? And if she did, could she keep him from confronting them?

Carrie decided to at least warn him about the assassination attempt. She would work on finding hard evidence against Major Foster and Cynthia Walden, herself. Because in the end, brainwashed president or not, those two conspired to allow Roya Hammad into the White House, through a hapless security guard, to murder Brody. That, Carrie would not stand for.

She reached her car, unlocked it and got in. Just as she was about to turn the key, a rag, soaked in chloroform, covered her nose and mouth and before Carrie could even begin to struggle, she lost consciousness.

What she would find when she woke up, would change everything.

* * *

Vice-President Lockhart met with President Brody and Chief of Staff Sandy Bachman in the Oval Office. There was some understandable blowback due to the President's mistake. And Nicholas Brody didn't seem to be too forthcoming about how or why this incident happened.

And there was that disturbing sounding rumor that was going around, that the President bombed innocent people while fucking Carrie Mathison...

"Sandy, Andrew," Brody said in a patient sounding tone, "I need to know what's being done to find Nazir. What happened was unfortunate but we need to move on. He's still in the wind, which means he's still a danger to us."

"Especially now that your attempt to kill him failed." Sandy said quietly. "Sir, with all due respect, I think you should resign."

Lockhart looked over at Sandy with surprise. What the fuck was going on here? Yes, this mistake was bad...but it wasn't anything that couldn't be explained away or sold differently, PR wise. Why the hell would Sandy suggest President Brody resign?

Brody stood up from his office chair.

"What did you say to me?"

"Mr. President, you bombed a wedding ceremony..."

"Based on faulty intel that Major Foster gave to me! He can fucking resign!" Brody snapped.

"Intel he gave you days before, sir. You needed to act on it when it was given. Abu Nazir is never in the same place for even 24 hours! And if you think Major Foster is the type of man that's going to take the fall for this, then you've greatly underestimated him." Sandy informed Brody.

"You know what I think?" Brody asked sarcastically. "I think I need Carrie Mathison in here. She'll tell me what I need to do to fix this situation."

"So that you can fuck her again, right?" Sandy countered. Lockhart decided to step in!

"Okay, stop. Sandy, you're out of line. That was just a rumor."

Sandy turned to Lockhart!

"A rumor that got back to the First Lady! How much more do you expect her to have to put up with?" Sandy asked, now facing Brody.

"As much as she needs to if she wants to continue to be First Lady." Brody told Sandy in a cool tone. "So you might want to keep her in mind when you figure out a way to get me out of this."

Before Sandy could respond, Brody's secretary buzzed him to let him know that the First Lady had passed out in the 'attic' and that a doctor was tending to her now. Brody thanked her, then turned to the men.

"I have to go. Andrew, I want to meet in private later on around two. Sandy, make sure that the planning the First Lady is doing for that Renaissance Fair is on schedule." Brody said before leaving the office. Once the president left, Lockhart's eyes widened as Sandy walked over to the president's desk and sat in his chair.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Lockhart asked, straightening his tie.

"The President isn't coming back into this office-ever. **YOU** might want to see if this chair is a good fit, since you'll be taking over in a manner of minutes." Sandy said pointedly.

Lockhart's mouth dropped open, before he closed it and spoke.

"The First Lady isn't sick, is she?" Lockhart asked quietly.

"No. But there is someone waiting for him in the attic." Sandy said casually.

* * *

Brody had no idea why Jessica would be in the attic, and the unpleasant thought ran through his mind, that she heard about Carrie being up here and wanted to confront him about it. He sighed as he stomped up the attic stairs. He didn't need this. Sandy was on his ass. The CIA was on his ass and Major Foster had tried to fuck him, that much Brody was sure of. Not to mention that he had not seen Carrie since they had made love in the War Room...

He stopped short as he reached the top of the stairs. Brody could see the bed Carrie had been in during her coma. Only now it had a different bedspread on it and...Carrie was lying on her stomach, naked, on it! Carrie? Carrie had had someone call him with that story about Jessica being sick?

Brody smiled as he took in the sight of her creamy buttocks, and he began to take off his tie. He couldn't wait to be with her again. They were the real team of this White House. Not him and Jessica. But Brody and Carrie.

It was as he took off his tie, that Brody frowned. He reached out to caress Carrie's buttock and it hit him that that this didn't **FEEL** like Carrie! And the blonde hair seemed off...

Before Brody could move, Quinn slowly rose from behind some boxes nearby and fired a single, deadly shot into President Nicholas Brody's forehead. He dropped to the floor quickly, just as Allison turned over and took her time about getting out of bed or covering up in front of Quinn.

"Okay. Mission accomplished. I'll get some clothes on and let Sandy know. Has anyone thought about Carrie?" she asked.

Quinn pulled out some supplies he had brought along for this deed. One of them being a body bag.

"Carrie is all I have been thinking about. She won't like this, obviously, but it had to be done."

Allison didn't look too sure about what he had said, but she did reluctantly nod.

"In the end, Carrie would not put Brody before the security of this nation. Still, I think she thinks there was a better way of handling this."

"Not after he dropped the drone." Quinn said simply, as he reached down and began to drag Brody's body. Allison began to hurriedly dress. Some kind of scenario would have to be sold to the American people as to how and why, Andrew Lockhart was suddenly the new president of this country.

* * *

Carrie awoke coughing and sputtering! Someone was lightly slapping her cheeks.

Then the person slapped her cheeks-hard! Her eyes flew open and she saw a haggard looking Brody staring down at her. His red hair was long, as well as his beard, which was unkempt.

"Miss? Miss? Are you alright?" he whispered. Carrie pulled herself up and out of his hold. She stood up on shaky legs and stared at him.

"Brody?" she asked, looking him up and down briefly, before taking in their surroundings. They were in some filthy room with gray walls. The smell of vomit was in the air.

Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody coughed before speaking.

"How do you know me? Have we met before?" he asked in a soft voice. Carrie ascertained that there was no way of escape before taking him in again.

"Come on, Brody! We don't have time for this! Nazir has us...though I don't know how he got his hands on you! Lockhart is probably negotiating for your release. We'll stay calm until..."

Carrie stopped talking and truly began to take Brody in. **WHY** did he look like that? Her heart began to speed up a bit. She had seen Brody looking this God awful before. But when?

It was when they first discovered him. A team had went in and found him looking like this...but it had been a ruse to trick them. What the fuck was going on? In order for Brody to have a hair and beard that long he would've had to have been here for years!

Carrie walked up to him.

"What's going on here, Brody? Talk to me! Because we're in a shit load of trouble here! How did Nazir take you from your Secret Service men?"

Brody's eyes registered confusion as he slowly shook his head.

"Secret Service men, ma'am? I don't know what you're talking about. I am Sergeant Nicholas Brody of the..."

"I know who you fucking are, Brody! You're also President of the United States! I am your Terrorism Advisor! Or I was! Why are you looking at me like I'm the one that's crazy?!" Carrie began to yell.

It was then that the cell door opened and Abu Nazir, along with two other men, stepped into the room. Nazir smiled.

No. He grinned.

"Miss Mathison. I see you have discovered the truth."

Carrie looked from a dirty looking Brody, to Nazir.

"That you kidnapped a sitting U.S. president? Look, negotiate for his release but I will stay here." Carrie said firmly. Brody limped back over to a dirty cot and sat down. He stared at the group of them with keen interest. Clearly Nazir had kidnapped an American woman and thrown her in a cell with him. Was this some trick?

Nazir shook his head.

"So you have not guessed. Then I will tell you. Sergeant Nicholas Brody was never rescued. **THIS** is the real Brody. The man that I delivered to you, was another, turned American that agreed to undergo extensive, plastic surgery to **LOOK** like the man you see over there."

Brody now stood up from his cot, shocked! He looked from Nazir to the blond woman, who backed back until she hit a table!

"You're fucking lying!" Carrie snapped. But somehow, she knew he wasn't. She stared over at Brody. He had never been a traitor after all because he had never come home. Oh dear God!

"I see the truth is setting in." Nazir said quietly. "I will leave you two to get acquainted. Then Miss Mathison, you WILL help me fight that infidel country you come from. The country you **BOTH** come from."

"Never!" Carrie spat. "Fuck off!"

One of the Nazir's men made a move towards Carrie and Brody, even in his weakened condition, hurried over to block the man from striking her! He ended up taking the blow himself before crumpling to the ground!

" **BRODY**!" Carrie screamed as she dropped to the ground and cradled him in her arms. Nazir smiled again.

"He is already protective of you. That is good. If you do not want him to suffer anymore, you **WILL** cooperate." Nazir said, before turning and leaving the cell. His men glared at Carrie before backing out and closing and locking the cell door.

Carrie stared at the door, before looking down at the man she loved. He didn't know her because they had never met. The man she knew was sitting in the Oval Office...though if Saul and David had their way, it wouldn't be for very long.

"Miss?" Brody whispered up to her. "We're going to be here awhile. I should at least know your name?"

Carrie smiled down at him, scared shitless by their predicament and relieved. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down on to him. Brody thought they were tears of fright. He had no idea they were tears of relief. This situation was fucked up but still-she had her Brody back. Or at least the man she had wanted him to be. He was here, right now, looking like he was this close to changing into a red headed werewolf, because he had **NOT** talked. He had **NOT** turned.

And as God as her witness, she was going to find a way out of this for both of them.

She sniffed and looked down into his eyes.

"My name is Carrie. Carrie Mathison."

 **THE END**


End file.
